Back before the invention of stereos, popular musicians were employed by royalty to basically act as their very own human stereos.

Take the case of Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini (February 19, 1743 – May 28, 1805), a classical era composer and cellist from Italy. Boccherini was born in Lucca, Italy, in a musical family. At a young age his father, a cellist and double bass player, sent Luigi to study in Rome (1757), and after various concert tours, in 1769 his talents brought him to the Spanish court in Madrid, where he was employed by Don Luis, the younger brother of King Charles III. (Courtesy of last.fm).

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