Unfortunately I know who Richard Clayderman is. I was actually hoping I would never have to hear his music again for as long as I lived.
On a related note, there is a composition for piano and tape by Matthew Hindson called Plastic Jubilation, which takes a popular tune by Richard Clayderman and warps it into many different guises and parodies it in quite a genius way. That is possibly the only way I would listen to Clayderman.
Now, not necessarily genius, I have considerable experience "transforming" works, both insipid, and genius. So far my efforts haven't found their way here, but I'm getting ideas. In the mean time I'll look into Plastic Junction.
I remember quite a few years back that there were frequent TV ads for the "Timeless" works of RC (a name I just heard of when the ad was aired!), describing him as something just slightly above Genius, and far, far above the rest of humanity, when it came to composing 'timeless melodies for every music lover'. Obviously Liberace came to mind, but these to effortless moneymakers are quite different, but pretty much equally worthless as pianists (serious classical or otherwise).
Lontano