The 'Uncommon Sound' of Left-Handed Guitarists
Noted Left-Handed Guitarists
- Kurt Cobain
- Elizabeth Cotten
- Jimi Hendrix*
- Dick Dale
- Danny Gatton*
- Albert King
- Mark Knopfler*
- Paul McCartney
- Otis Rush
- Bobby Womack
*Lefties who played right-handed guitars
It's been said that right-handed people live years longer than left-handed people. So when it comes to the "live-fast, die-young" luminaries of rock 'n' roll, it's not surprising that some of the great guitar players of all time are left-handed.
From Jimi Hendrix to Dick Dale, southpaw strummers are celebrated in John Engel's two-volume book set, Uncommon Sound: The Left-Handed Guitar Players that Changed Music.
Engel talks with Scott Simon about the legacy of left-handed players.