Lefties make up just 10% of the world’s population, but they’ve given us some of the most unforgettable music of all time. From soul-shredding guitar solos to thunderous drumming and genre-bending creativity, these 25 left-handed musicians prove that greatness doesn’t follow the rules—or the dominant hand. Here’s to the legends who flipped instruments, rewrote norms, and rocked the world… left-handed.
Albert King
Played a Flying V guitar upside-down and became one of the most influential blues players of all time. His signature sound influenced Clapton, Vaughan, and Hendrix.
Al McKay
The groove-master behind Earth, Wind & Fire’s rhythm section. His left-handed guitar playing powered hits like “September” and “Boogie Wonderland.”
Ashley MacIsaac
The Canadian fiddler plays left-handed with fiery flair, bringing Cape Breton-style music to global stages with punk-rock intensity.
Barbara Lynn
A pioneering R&B artist who wrote, sang, and played left-handed guitar on her own tracks, including the classic “You’ll Lose a Good Thing.”
Bun E. Carlos
As drummer for Cheap Trick, Carlos brought left-handed swing and precision to arena-ready power pop hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s.
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Though not confirmed as left-handed, his father, J.S. Bach, once noted his left hand was more developed, suggesting early left-hand dominance.
Cheyenne Kimball
The teen pop-rock prodigy played left-handed guitar and delivered emotionally resonant performances as a solo artist and member of Gloriana.
Charlie Watts
The Rolling Stones drummer led with elegance and restraint. A jazz-lover at heart, his left-handed tendencies helped create the band’s signature groove.
Courtney Barnett
The Aussie indie rock star strums a left-handed guitar with deadpan brilliance and sharp-witted lyrics that have earned her global acclaim.
David Bowie
Naturally left-handed but taught himself to play right-handed due to the scarcity of left-handed guitars in post-war Britain. A true shapeshifter.
Dennis Wilson
The only surfer in the Beach Boys and a left-leading drummer who brought a unique swing and later wrote one of the band’s most emotional tracks, “Forever.”
Dick Dale
The King of Surf Guitar played left-handed with breakneck speed and power, influencing generations of guitarists with songs like “Misirlou.”
Dominic Howard
Muse’s powerhouse drummer is left-handed, and his dynamic, theatrical playing style anchors the band’s towering space-rock sound.
Doyle Bramhall II
Plays guitar left-handed with the strings upside-down, creating a smooth, expressive blues-rock tone that’s unmistakably his own.
Elliot Easton
Lead guitarist for The Cars, Easton’s left-handed solos were crisp, stylish, and catchy—perfectly matching the band’s polished new wave vibe.
Elizabeth Cotten
Created her own fingerpicking style by playing a right-handed guitar upside-down. Her folk classic “Freight Train” is a masterclass in subtlety.
Eric Gales
A blues-rock phenom who plays guitar left-handed and upside-down, praised for his explosive solos and emotional phrasing.
Ernie C
The lead guitarist for Body Count, Ernie’s left-handed shredding brought heavy political power to Ice-T’s metal band.
Gerald Casale
As a founding member of DEVO, Casale brought left-handed bass grooves to new wave with satirical edge and robotic style.
Greg Sage
The Wipers’ frontman played blistering, emotional punk guitar left-handed and inspired the grunge movement along the way.
Gruff Rhys
Welsh songwriter and Super Furry Animals frontman who strums left-handed while crafting dreamy, surreal psych-pop soundscapes.
Jo Callis
Best known for his work with The Human League, this left-handed multi-instrumentalist added depth to the synth-pop world of the ’80s.
Jimi Goodwin
The Doves frontman is a lefty who switches instruments with ease—playing bass, guitar, and drums during the band’s soaring Britpop anthems.
Jimi Hendrix
The most iconic left-handed guitarist of all time. Flipped and restrung his guitar, changing the sound of rock forever with “Purple Haze” and “Voodoo Child.”
Joe English
As drummer for Paul McCartney & Wings, English played with dynamic left-handed style on hits like “Listen to What the Man Said.”
Joan Armatrading
The British singer-songwriter writes and plays guitar left-handed, delivering heartfelt, genre-crossing songs since the 1970s.
John Lennon
While not fully left-handed, Lennon was ambidextrous and often sketched and performed actions with his left hand—including some iconic guitar work.
John Cale
As a member of the Velvet Underground, Cale added haunting left-handed viola and bass playing to the band’s avant-garde sound.
Justin Bieber
Bieber is ambidextrous but usually strums guitar with his left hand. His lefty acoustic performances have become a signature of his live shows.
Kurt Cobain
A proud left-handed guitarist who made grunge mainstream. He played a flipped Fender Jaguar and inspired millions with his raw sound.
Malina Moye
One of the few left-handed women to break through in rock guitar, blending funk, blues, and soul with fiery stage presence.
Maria Taylor
Singer-songwriter Maria Taylor plays guitar left-handed, blending delicate melodies and heartfelt lyrics across indie-folk and pop records.
Mdou Moctar
This Niger-born guitarist fuses traditional Tuareg melodies with left-handed shredding, gaining global acclaim for his desert-blues sound.
Michael Stipe
The R.E.M. frontman writes left-handed and occasionally plays guitar that way too—bringing unique phrasing to the band’s introspective anthems.
Mike Bordin
Faith No More’s drummer plays open-handed and left-dominant, giving their explosive songs extra punch. Also backed Ozzy Osbourne live.
Miley Cyrus
Left-handed by birth, Miley was trained by her dad to play guitar right-handed, but she continues to favor her left for most tasks.
Omar Rodríguez-López
From The Mars Volta to At the Drive-In, Omar’s left-handed chaos turns every guitar line into a trip through the unknown.
Otis Rush
A Chicago blues legend who played guitar left-handed with the strings upside-down. His slow-burn solos influenced Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Paul Gray
The late Slipknot bassist laid down thundering, complex riffs with his left hand, adding depth to the band’s furious sound.
Paul McCartney
The world’s most famous left-handed bassist. McCartney flipped his Hofner violin bass and wrote the soundtrack to generations.
Phil Collins
A lefty who played a reversed drum kit in Genesis, later becoming a global solo superstar with hits like “In the Air Tonight.”
Richard Barth
A 19th-century composer and violinist noted for favoring his left hand—an unusual trait for classical musicians of his time.
Ringo Starr
Though he drums on a right-handed kit, Ringo leads with his left, creating a unique, swingy feel that defined the Beatles’ rhythm section.
Robin Campbell
The UB40 guitarist is a proud lefty who’s kept the band’s reggae-pop grooves flowing for decades with his smooth strumming style.
Shawn Lane
A legendary shredder known for his speed and soul, Lane was a lefty who influenced modern virtuosos despite his tragically short life.
Slim Whitman
Country singer and yodeling legend who played left-handed, inspiring Paul McCartney’s early guitar style.
Stella Parton
Younger sister to Dolly, Stella plays guitar left-handed and has released dozens of albums blending country, gospel, and folk influences.
Stewart Copeland
The Police’s drummer is ambidextrous but often leads with his left hand, adding energy and polyrhythms to the band’s sound.
Tim Armstrong
As the gritty voice behind Rancid, Tim plays guitar left-handed and keeps punk alive with raspy vocals and ska-infused riffs.
Tony Iommi
Heavy metal’s godfather. After a factory accident, Iommi customized his guitar to play left-handed and helped launch Black Sabbath.
Toronzo Cannon
Chicago blues guitarist and CTA bus driver turned star, Cannon’s left-handed fretwork has lit up stages with power and heart.
Zacky Vengeance
Avenged Sevenfold’s co-lead guitarist brings powerful left-handed rhythm work to some of the 2000s’ biggest metal anthems.
They flipped guitars, rethought rhythms, and carved their names into music history—left-hand first. And while right-handers may dominate the charts in numbers, these southpaws dominate in style, sound, and soul.