Why do people say, "He's been through fire, water, and copper pipes"?

This is often said about people who have faced many hardships in life.

Fire and water are easy to understand; they refer to “physical” trials (of will, courage, bravery, etc.). But what do “brass trumpets” mean?

“Copper pipes” refer to the most difficult moral trials—the “fanfares” and “copper pipes,” that is, fame and popularity. Many heroes withstand the trials of fire and water, but these same heroes (who have performed feats of valor, for which they earned their fame) do not always manage to pass through the copper pipes afterward.