Paganini is still regarded as one of the best violinists to ever live. He mastered the mandolin at five years old, and started composing at seven–he didn’t mess around. He made public appearances when he was 12, but by 16 he couldn’t take the stress and sunk into alcoholism. He regained his composure and at 22 came back to become one of the first music superstars.
Now only did he compose huge amounts of works, many of them were so complex (even for today) that only he could play them at the time because he essentially created his own way to play the violin.
Rumors of his involvement with the devil started when he wrote one of his famous pieces, “Le Streghe” which translates to “Witches’ Dance.” Audiences believed Paganini made a pact with the devil to perform supernatural displays of technique in exchange with his soul. There are even reports from people at the time who said they saw the devil helping him during his performances. Because of his widely-rumored association with the devil, he was denied his last rites in the church. It took four years, and an appeal to the Pope, before the body was allowed to be transported to Genoa, but was still not buried. His body was eventually buried 36 years after his death in 1876 in a cemetery in Parma.