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5 Famous Left Handed Guitarists

It is a myth and an urban legend that left handed people are more creative than the majority of right handed people. Although we can call it a coincidence or sheer dumb luck, there is substantial evidence to justify this old wives tale. Some of the most exceptional guitarist have been left handed.

These famous people have gone down in history as legends and only when you sit down to analyse, you get to know that they were all lefties. Let us see who were the most popular left handed guitarist in history.

Left Handed Guitarists

5 Famous Left Hand Guitarists:

1. Albert King: He was aptly called one of the 'Three Kings' or 'Three Magi' of the blues guitar. Albert King was one of the best musicians of the last leg of the Blues musical movement. He came from a band In The Groove Boys which was one of the leading Blues bands. Albert King earned the nick name Velvet Bulldozer due to his huge bulk and his voice that was smooth like velvet. With the legacy of cotton plantations from the slave trading South and a left hand guitar in his hand, he created music that will be never forgotten.

2. Jimi Hendrix: The proud propagator of the Forever 27 Club, Jimi Hendrix was much more than just a left handed guitarist. He was an entire school of thought that changed the way guitar would be played in the future. All the electrical guitarist in the world cannot help but pay homage to this musical genius. He was one of the original strong heads of the Woodstock festival in 1969. He died an untimely death a year later.

3. Paul McCartney: The little Beatle needs no introduction whatsoever. The lead guitarist in the most famous boy band in the world used a left hand guitar. The myth about left handed people being creative must hold some water if that is true! Sir Paul McCartney's fame among the Beatles was second only to the iconic John Lennon.

4. Kurt Cobain: The troubled youth who never saw his 30s was another inspiring member of the Forever 27 Club. Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana produced some really electrifying music before he shot himself at the age of 27. He led the resurgence of hard core electronic rock music in the 1990's.

5. Tony Iommi: He was the man with a shock of wild hair and a smartly waxed mustache from The Black Sabbath. If there has to be one name in the world of heavy metal, then it would be British musician Tony Iommi. Without this left handed guitarist, there would not have been a Metallica! He pioneered path for future heavy metal bands.

Left handed people are about 2 per cent of the population in terms of numbers, but their share is much more when it comes to contributions to our culture. Do you know of any other famous left handed guitarists?

Story first published: Friday, June 22, 2012, 15:28 [IST]
Read more about: bizarre music