Happy National Left Handers Day 2024! Did you know that every year on August 13th we southpaws get our very own designated day to celebrate our ‘gift’?

Despite being a minority, left-handers have made remarkable contributions to society, from the arts to sports, science, and beyond. Check out my list of 100+ Famous Left-Handed People for a raft of incredible southpaws within our ranks!

International Left Handers Day is also meant to help raise awareness of the troubles that lefty people experience with living in a world designed primarily for right-handed people.

Scissors, spiral notebooks, smudged ink, no one else can enjoy the awesome graphic on your favorite coffee mug – the lefty struggle is real! Leftie Day is a chance for right-handed people (who most likely aren’t aware of these issues!) to experience it for themselves.

So, the idea is that we have an excuse to have a moan about how easy righties have it? Well, not quite – read on to discover what this special day is truly all about.

National Left Handers Day 2024

When Is National Left Handers Day?

National Left Handers Day is held on Tuesday, August 13th, 2024. It was first celebrated back in 1976 and has been an annual event ever since.

What Do You Do On Left Handers Day?

Special events are usually set up around the world, such as designated ‘left-handed zones’ where righties are encouraged to use their non-dominant hand to perform simple everyday tasks. 

These special areas might only include lefty tools and utensils to force people into finding out what it’s like being a southpaw in a right-handed world. Because let’s face it, sometimes it’s a bit of a pain in the rear! Check out the video below…

All too often we lefties are overlooked by designers and developers. We only make up 12% of the population to be fair! However, it is hoped that through participating in this day we can raise awareness of the need for ambidextrous product designs.

Fun Fact: Did you know that some people are scared of left-handed things? Check out my article on Sinistrophobia!

If you can’t attend an event, why not at least take one of your lefty friends out for lunch or a coffee?

Or if you’re right-handed, spend the day trying to perform tasks with your non-dominant hand to get a small taste of what it is like. Examples might be using the computer mouse or trackpad with your left hand. Or, if you need to use scissors, see how useless they become when held in your non-dominant hand.

Join In On Social Media With #LeftHandersDay

You can also take part in national left-handed day on social media by using the #LeftHandersDay hashtag.

Share your lefty-centric photos and videos with other southpaws around the world. Or, if you have nothing to hand, you can just share this article or the handy graphic below!

Left-Handers Day Poster To Print

Get your friends, family, and colleagues involved by printing out our left-handers day poster. Or why not share it on social media to help spread the word about this special day? If you do, please make sure to link back to this page.

If you’d prefer to print this out click here to download a larger version of the lefthanders day poster (opens in a new window).

National Left Handed Day Sales!

Here’s my suggestion for this yearly event. Every year on August 13th, guitar stores worldwide should have a sale where only the left-handed models are discounted. Do it. Do it.

Thomann Lefty Day Sale! Thomann has heavily discounted a number of left-handed guitars to celebrate the event. Click to shop the sale.

Hot Deal! TrueFire is the world’s largest online guitar lesson resource and is currently offering an incredible 50% discount on subscriptions.

And while you’re at it, how about also rocking some awesome sales on National Guitar Day?

Are you planning on celebrating National Left Handed Day 2024?

Lefty Facts, Celebrities, and Gifts

Left Handed Facts & Statistics

Did you know that compared to right-handers, left-handed people are:

• 11 times more likely to have allergies
• More likely to be male
• Twice as likely to experience migraines
• At an advantage in certain sports
• Considered as being more creative

Further Reading: 25 Amazing Facts About Left-Handed People

Famous Left-Handers Who Made History

From artists and scientists to political leaders and athletes, left-handers have left an indelible mark on the world. We can count incredible people such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Nikola Tesla, and Barack Obama as fellow southpaws.

Further Reading: 100+ Famous Left-Handed People

Left Handed Gifts

Finding the perfect product or gift for a left-handed person can be a fun yet challenging task, especially in a world dominated by right-handed designs. Thankfully, there’s an array of specially designed tools, instruments, and gadgets that cater specifically to lefties, making our daily lives easier and more comfortable this leftie day!

Further Reading: Products & Gifts That Lefties Will LOVE!

You’ll Probably Love These Articles Too!

• 60-Second Lefty Test – How Left Handed Are You?
• 14 Inspirational Left Handed Quotes
• Are Left-Handed People Evil?

Take Up Left Handed Guitar!

If you’re reading this article then chances are that you are left-handed. So, If you don’t already play, why not let me help you get started with left handed guitar? Check out my free in-depth Beginner Guide to learn everything you need to know!

And before you leave, make sure to let your friends know about National Left Handers Day 2024 by sharing this post with them on social media!

If you would like to take up left-handed guitar (or already play), make sure to also sign up for my email newsletter below!

The post Happy National Left Handers Day 2024 appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Let’s face it. Being a left handed guitarist is generally pretty awesome, but it certainly has its unique challenges!

Here are 8 annoying things that only left handed guitarists will understand.

8 Left Handed Guitar Disadvantages

1. Store Selection is Often Poor

Working for a guitar retailer myself, I know firsthand that nice lefties can be some of the strongest-selling products in the store. For example, when Epiphone released the limited edition Casino a few years ago it was effectively a license to print money for retailers that could keep them in stock.

When a nice lefty arrives in the store it doesn’t hang around for very long! Unfortunately, it would seem that a good number of stores don’t realize their strong sales potential, which results in a pretty lackluster selection.

I’ve walked into many a guitar store and then walked straight back out again after unearthing just one or two uninspiring lefties amongst a sea of ‘normal‘ guitars.

If you took away all of the right-handed guitars many stores would probably look similar to this…

Luckily, many stores do stock an incredible selection of southpaw instruments. Check out my guide to the best places to buy left handed guitars.

2. Not Being Able to Try Before You Buy

A guitar can be a fairly expensive purchase, right? So, it only makes sense to give it a test drive before you bust open the old wallet. However, as we’ve already noted above, the southpaw selection in most stores is often less than inspiring.

Therefore, unless you’re after something fairly commonplace, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll be able to try before you buy. You may have to special order an instrument (deposit probably required) and wait potentially months for it to arrive. Alternatively, you can order it online from a store that does have stock and pray that you don’t get a lemon.

You can always return the guitar if you don’t gel with it or find it has issues. However, this is potentially a bit of faff that our righty friends will never have to experience.

3. Many Guitars Don’t Even EXIST As Lefties

The main issue that contributes to the issues above is the fact that there just aren’t as many left handed guitars as there are right. Not even close…

Although many brands will offer their entire catalog left handed, many of the bigger names only produce a few popular models as lefties. Some companies (for example, Washburn) don’t bother making lefties at all.

So, it may be the case that the dream guitar you’ve spotted in the latest Guitar World news article will never be anything more than a dream.

Don’t fret too hard though, as there’s almost always a decent alternative available from other brands. My left handed guitar database is a great place to start looking!

4. Uninspiring Color Choices

All left handed players love gloss black guitars, right? At least that’s what many brands would have you believe judging by their southpaw ranges!

While the right handed versions of guitars will often come in a plethora of colors, their left handed counterparts will oftentimes only come in a single hue. Often black. Gloss black.

For example, I’ve just had a peek at the ESP range we currently have in stock at work. Out of 23 left-handed ESPs across all stores, TWENTY of them are black. That’s 87% of our stock.

Why? Partly because these are what the distributor has brought into the country, so these are all that we get to choose from.

In addition, black is a fairly safe option in the grand scheme of things, so this is what the companies put out. It’s also cheaper to paint a guitar black as less is required for an adequate finish.

5. Left Handed Guitars Cost More!

You’ve decided on your next guitar and have noted that the right handed model is retailing for $500 in this month’s guitar magazine. So, you phone up the local guitar store to see if they have the left handed version in stock. Boom. $550!

On top of these guitars being harder to find, as well as being available in fewer colors, some brands even have the cheek to dump a 10-15% upcharge on southpaw models. Well that’s just the icing on the cake, isn’t it!?

However, which of these options would you prefer? No left-handed options at all, or a slight price increase from the manufacturer. I know which would be my pick!

At the end of the day, guitar brands are businesses and they need to ensure they can still turn a profit when offering instruments to this much smaller market. Find out why some left-handed guitars cost more.

To be fair, there are plenty of companies out there that don’t upcharge for lefties. So if this bothers you, support the brands who support us.

6. The Great Second Hand Hunt

If the guitar you’re after is discontinued you could potentially be in for a very, very long wait to find one. Looking for a used left handed guitar can genuinely be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

When I was a young shredder, my dream guitar was the super rare Ibanez RG3120L Prestige. In what must have been an entire year of scouring eBay, I think I spotted one. It was overpriced. And slightly damaged. And in another continent. And the seller wouldn’t ship internationally.

Sometimes endlessly trawling eBay and the like is the only option. But hey, when you finally stumble across (and win!) the guitar you’ve been coveting it often feels like you’ve just won the lottery.

Better get used to setting up those custom search alerts! Find out how to use smart searches to find the hidden lefty guitars with my eBay guide.

7. Know-It-All Righties

‘Why didn’t you just learn the ‘normal’ way?‘. Working for a guitar store I get this all the time. Here’s the usual line…

‘If you’d have learned right handed you would have had your dominant hand on the frets. You’d have had a big advantage!‘

In that case, GENIUS, why are left handed guitars not the norm? Why don’t righties all play left handed and enjoy this ‘advantage‘? Why don’t YOU play left handed? Urgh…

Another common one is – ‘You don’t get a left-handed piano‘. Hardly a fair comparison though is it? Unlike with the guitar, both hands are carrying out similar tasks on the piano. P.S. There is a left handed piano.

After a while, you learn to just ignore their silly ramblings.

Check out my article ‘Should I Play Guitar Left Or Right Handed?‘ to discover why you probably made the right decision by opting for southpaw mode. It’ll give you some great comeback material for when you inevitably come across those know-it-all players.

8. Not Being Able to Try Your Friend’s Guitars

This left handed guitar disadvantage is similar to not being able to try before you buy. Perhaps you’re at a friend’s house and they have an awesome vintage Les Paul you’d love to try. Or, you’re sitting around a campfire with an acoustic being passed around.

Well, you’re basically screwed. You can certainly hold it and get a feel for it, but that’s about as far as you’ll get, unfortunately. Unless you’ve learned to play a few basic things right-handed as a neat party trick – which you totally should!

On the plus side, it also means that your buddies can’t play your guitars. You can keep them all to yourself…

So Why Bother Playing Left Handed?

After reading through all of these left handed guitarist problems you may be wondering why anyone puts up with it.

Despite all of these issues, being a lefty player is not the absolute living hell that many guitarists would have you believe.

In fact, I love being on team Southpaw.

• I stand out from the crowd, always getting questions from other players.
• Many of my guitars are rare and special, and often valuable as a result!
• The hunt for the next instrument is always a satisfying challenge.
• Less choice equals fewer impulse purchases to later regret.
• The lefty guitarist community is awesome!

Plus I’ve come across and owned so many guitars from amazing lesser-known brands. This is because I’m often forced to look a little further afield for what I need. For example, check out my custom Mensinger guitar build!

It’s certainly far more interesting than being an average Joe right handed player.

Sure we may not get as much choice as right-handed guitarists, but come on, how many guitars do you really need anyway?

At the end of the day, most of these negatives can be turned on their heads. It’s not worth playing the wrong way around and potentially limiting your playing ability just to have the choice of a few extra guitars. That would just be silly now, wouldn’t it?

You’ll Also Love…

• 9 Awesome Left Handed Guitarist ADVANTAGES
• Should I Play Guitar Left or Right-Handed?
• The BEST Left Handed Guitar Stores In The WORLD!

The post 8 Annoying Things About Being a Left Handed Guitarist appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Shopping for left handed gifts? Keep reading to discover my top 9 inexpensive gifts for left handed people.

I’ve included some novelty gifts for lefties, as well as some products designed specifically for southpaws which will make life that little bit easier. Crucially, everything in this list is relatively inexpensive, and is guaranteed to make the recipient smile!

9 Perfect Left Handed Gifts

1. A Notebook WITHOUT Rings

Near impossible to write on comfortably, a spiral-bound notepad is a lefty’s worst enemy. Spend a short period with one and you’ll be rewarded with those angry-looking imprints on your hand. Ouch!

After years of suffering with the standard issue spiral-bound pads I’m always given at work, I finally forked out my own cash for a premium Moleskine notebook. What a difference in comfort! Plus, they’re so much higher quality than the ones everyone else uses at the office that you can almost taste the envy!

Crucially, they open completely flat, allowing us southpaws to write close to the margins in comfort. Perfect!

2. Scissors For Lefties

The majority of right handed people probably don’t even realize that a regular pair of scissors become next to useless when held in the left hand. Well, the struggle is real!

Take the hassle out of cutting by picking up a quality pair of left-handed scissors. Inexpensive, but invaluable!

There are plenty of options available, but I have linked to a well-reviewed pair by Fiskars above. Fiskars has been in business since 1649, so knows a thing or two about producing quality products. These use precision-ground stainless steel blades for extra accuracy, and come with a lifetime warranty.

3. Left Handed Pens

Yes, left handed pens are a thing! Who knew!?

As a southpaw, finding a pen that you can use without smudging the ink is akin to discovering gold.

Check out the Maped pens linked above that use quick-drying ink, and feature an innovative curved design that keeps your hand away from the ink before it dries. No more smudged writing!

In addition, the curved design allows us to actually see what we’re writing. Very cool!

4. Ambidextrous Mouse

Most mice are designed with the right-handed user in mind. However, with an ambidextrous design, you won’t need to struggle with poor ergonomics or unusable buttons on the wrong side any longer!

The Logitech G300s is a high-quality gaming mouse that can be used in either the left or right hand thanks to its symmetrical design. Although aimed at gamers, its ultra-high precision makes it ideal for any day-to-day use. It also has nine programmable buttons that can be customized to quickly perform a ton of handy tasks.

A nice plus point is that its ambidextrous design means that everyone in the home or office can also use it. No one is left behind with this gift!

If you would prefer a wireless option, you can also check out the excellent Razer Viper.

5. Ambidextrous Can Opener

I HATE using can openers – by the time I manage to get into the can I’m a sweaty, angry mess. As is the can…

Left handed can openers do exist, but why not pick up an option which everyone in the house can use? The Bartelli model I’ve linked to above has an innovative ambidextrous design that allows for both left and right handed use.

It is designed to be super-simple to use, with no strenuous gripping required. Once the can is opened, the high-quality stainless steel blades leave a safe, and smooth edge that you won’t cut yourself on.

Handily, it also doubles up as a jar and bottle opener!

6. Ambidextrous Knife Sharpener

Many years ago I bought a 3-stage knife sharpening block, and always thought it was pretty useless. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I realized it was designed to be used only with the right hand.

Why not pick up an ambidextrous design so that everyone in the house can safely keep kitchen knives in tip-top condition?

The Mueller 4-stage sharpener linked above is designed to be used with either the left hand or the right hand. It uses high-quality diamond abrasives, and is built to a very high standard.

It’ll even sharpen your left handed scissors!

7. Left Handed Tape Measure

Most southpaws will favor holding a tape measure in their left hand, which means that the numbers will be upside down. A left handed tape measure solves that problem in one fell swoop with graduations that read from right to left, and the right way up!

I’ve linked above to a 25ft heavy-duty option by Task with an impact-resistant case. It also features a left handed belt clip, so that you can clip it on the left side and have it facing the correct way.

Check it out at the link above.

8. Books for Lefties

There are a ton of books centered around left handed topics, so why not give the lefty in your life a book which talks specifically about our ‘gift’.

A classic that has been around for decades is ‘The Natural Superiority of the Left-Hander’ by James Tertius de Kay. This book is chock full of fun and interesting facts and trivia about being a lefty in a right-handed world.

You can read more about it at the link above.

9. Left Handed T Shirts

Show off your lefty pride with a left handed t-shirt that announces your southpaw awesomeness to the world.

Check out the fun shirt above which bears the slogan ‘I May Be Left Handed, But I’m Always Right‘. Available in a selection of different colors, and for men, women, and children.

Of course, there are plenty of other designs available with a variety of different slogans and quotes. Simply type “left handed t-shirts” into the search bar for additional results.

MORE Gifts For Left Handed People!

General Lefty Gift Ideas

STILL not found what you’re after? Check out this left handed store for tons of additional suggestions!

There’s a few good left handed gag gifts to make your giftee laugh. I particularly like the devious coffee mug that won’t work for right handed people!

Give The Gift of Music!

If they don’t already play an instrument, a left handed instrument could inspire an entire new obsession for your giftee.

Check out the top links in my left handed guitar database, where you’ll find guides for beginner left handed guitars, basses, ukuleles, banjos, and more!

The post 9 Inexpensive Left Handed Gifts That Lefties Will Love! appeared first on LeftyFretz.

What does it mean to be left handed? What are the challenges faced, and why is it important to support and embrace left-handedness?

Roughly 12% of the population is left handed. However, despite being a relatively common occurence, left-handedness continues to be misunderstood and even discouraged within many cultures that favor the use of the right hand.

Due to this, in many countries, the prevalence of left-handers is far lower than the average 12% figure. See my article titled How Many People Are Left Handed for a breakdown of handedness by country.

The marginalization of left-handedness is slowly becoming less of an issue in the modern world largely thanks to a raft of scientific studies exploring the topic. These bodies of research have helped to understand the natural biology and brain function that causes some people to be left handed. As a result, there is a burgeoning awareness of the qualities and benefits associated with left-handedness.

Throughout this post, we will take a thorough look at what it means to be left handed by exploring the cultural, societal, and scientific aspects of this interesting topic. In addition, we will also examine why it is important to help support left-handers in order to ultimately create a more inclusive society.

What Does It Mean To Be Left Handed?

Definition Of Being Left Handed

A person who is considered left-handed will have a preference for using the left hand during activities that involve manual dexterity. For example, writing, using scissors or throwing and catching. Hand preference is generally established early on during childhood and is unlikely to change over time.

How left (or right) handed are you? Take the 60 Second Left Handed Test to find out!

Left-Handedness Throughout History

For centuries, left-handedness has been viewed almost as an impairment, with people being treated with suspicion and discrimination. Left-handedness has been compared to a sign of bad luck or even being in league with the Devil!

Find out more about this in my article Are Left Handed People Evil?

In spite of the negative attitude towards left-handedness, many of the world’s most celebrated and successful people have been lefties. For example, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, David Bowie, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Oprah Winfrey are all southpaws.

Check out my list of 100+ Famous Left Handed People for more well-known lefty celebrities.

The Importance Of Understanding Left-Handedness

Truly understanding what it means to be left-handed is important for the following reasons:

1. To help eliminate the common negative associations and misconceptions towards left-handed individuals.
2. To bring attention to the requirement for increased support and provisions for left-handed individuals. For example, in areas such as work, education, and daily life in general.
3. To highlight the unique traits and benefits of left-handedness. For example, higher levels of creativity and improved problem-solving abilities.

Discover more of the benefits associated with left-handedness in my article 25 Amazing Facts About Left Handed People.

The Science Behind Left-Handedness

Why Are People Left Handed?

Surprisingly, scientists are still not fully certain of the exact causes of left-handedness. However, studies have shown that a person’s genetics as well as environmental factors play a definite role.

For example, a number of genes have been singled out that are associated with handedness. In addition, it is thought that environmental events such as prenatal stress or exposure to certain chemicals can also have an influential effect.

Handedness And Brain Lateralization

A variety of different factors come into play when determining which hand a person favors. This can include environmental circumstances, genetics, and brain lateralization.

Your brain is a complex organ that is divided into two different hemispheres, with each being responsible for separate functions and abilities. In right-handed people, the left hemisphere controls the majority of their language abilities and motor skills.

Left-handers are the opposite, with the right hemisphere being the dominant side. This is where the saying “only left handed people are in their right minds” comes from. See this 2021 study for a more detailed look into this topic.

Handedness And Brain Function

There is an ever-expanding number of studies examining the correlation between handedness and various other aspects of brain function. For example, this 2017 study showed that left handed individuals performed better during problem-solving tasks when compared to righties.

In addition, being left handed has also been closely associated with increased levels of creativity, memory, and even intelligence. Various studies have been undertaken, with some proving this to be true, and some finding that the opposite was the case!

So it would definitely seem that the jury is still out on this subject!

Left-Handedness In Society

Cultural Views And Opinions

As we’ve already addressed above, throughout history left-handers have often been marginalized in society. In many cultures using the left hand is even seen as a sign of evil or impending bad luck.

However, attitudes towards left-handers have begun to change over the last century, with many societies beginning to realize the strengths associated with being left-handed.

This is reflected in the graph below which displays the rate of left-handedness in the United States by year.

Challenges Faced By Left-Handed People

Despite attitudes slowly changing towards left-handed individuals, there are still many challenges in a world that is predominantly designed for right-handed people.

A 1995 study found that when using a power saw, left-handers are almost five times more likely to sustain an amputating injury compared to a righty! This is because these tools are not created with left and right-handed users in mind.

Everyday tools can also be difficult to use for left-handers, such as scissors, can openers, tape measures, and even computer mice. Lefties may also struggle with writing as many pens, desks, and writing pads are designed with right-handers in mind.

As a left handed guitarist I am certainly at a small disadvantage when it comes to learning and enjoying the instrument. Read 8 Annoying Things About Being A Left Handed Guitarist.

Supporting Left-Handed Individuals

Accommodations In Daily Life

A number of the unique challenges experienced day-to-day by left-handers can be overcome by providing special accommodations in daily life. By giving access to the tools and resources needed to succeed, left-handers can perform at their best rather than being distracted and frustrated by a world designed for right-handers.

This might include things like left-handed desks and tools, as well as access to resources and support systems.

In the workplace, this might mean ensuring that left-handed employees are not forced to use dangerous tools and machinery designed for right-handed use.

Unfortunately, there is currently no legal obligation for an employer to provide any of these tools or resources. However, every year on August 13th we do celebrate National Left Handers Day, with the aim of highlighting these issues to the uninitiated.

Benefits

By accommodating left-handers in education, work, and other areas of life, there are many benefits such as increased confidence and lower levels of stress and frustration.

By understanding and dealing with the issue of potentially dangerous tools being predominantly designed for right-handers, we should also be able to greatly reduce the number of workplace injuries.

Conclusions

Throughout this article, we examined what it means to be left-handed as well as its significance within society. We also highlighted the need to support southpaws in education, work, and general day-to-day life.

It is important to recognize and embrace the diversity of handedness. Additionally, we also need to understand that being left-handed is not a problem or deficiency, but simply a natural variation.

Through supporting left-handers and placing value upon this diversity, we will be able to construct a more inclusive and unprejudiced society, regardless of handedness.

The post What Does It Mean To Be Left Handed? (Definition + Pros & Cons) appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Can you name five famous left handed guitarists? I’ll bet that you probably can – but I’ll also wager that after five or so you would start to struggle!

To help out, here’s a list of some of the greatest left handed guitar players both past and present.

There are plenty of famous musicians in this list that everyone should be aware of, but I’ve also included a few newer, perhaps lesser-known artists who you might also like to check out.

Although we are the minority in the guitar world, we sure do have some highly influential players within our ranks.

Make no mistake, many of these southpaw players are considered some of the greatest musicians of all time!

Famous Left Handed Guitarists

You won’t find any right handed guitar players here, although you might discover a few right handed musicians who for one reason or another ended up playing a lefty axe!

1. Jimi Hendrix

Never mind famous left handed guitarists, Jimi Hendrix is arguably the most celebrated and influential guitarist of all time!

Having his name amongst our ranks almost single-handedly makes it cool to be a southpaw.

He was best known for wielding Fender Stratocasters. Instead of playing a left handed Fender guitar, he would restring a right handed guitar upside down.

Learn some incredible trivia and dive into his musical genius by reading my Jimi Hendrix Facts article.

2. Tony Iommi

Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi is widely regarded as being the pioneer of heavy metal and is undeniably one of the biggest names in rock guitar.

Tony lost two of his fret-hand fingertips in a workplace accident but carried on as a left handed guitarist thanks to his prosthetic replacements!

He is best known for playing left handed Gibson SGs, and has released several signature Gibson and Epiphone guitars.

3. Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain founded Nirvana, the band that defined the grunge movement in the 90s.

Nirvana became one of the biggest names in music and to date has sold over 75 million albums worldwide.

Two of his guitars hold the number one and number two positions in the list of the most expensive guitars ever sold at auction. A true testament to the importance of this man to music history!

Cobain was generally best known for playing Fender Mustangs and Jaguars.

Fender has released several signature Cobain Jaguars, Mustangs, and Jag-Stangs, all of which are available left handed.

Learn some incredible trivia and dive into his musical genius by reading my Kurt Cobain Facts article.

4. Paul McCartney

Two words – ‘the Beatles’. Enough said?

As a member of the Beatles and also as a very successful solo artist, Paul McCartney has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

After his almost endless contributions to the world of music, he was awarded a Knighthood in 1997.

Paul is probably most widely known for playing his Hofner 500/1 violin bass which you can see in the video above.

5. Elliot Easton

Elliot Easton was the lead guitarist in the American rock band The Cars.

He is probably best known for his Pelham Blue Gibson SG model, but he also released a signature Gibson Tikibird Firebird guitar.

Aside from his signature Gibsons, he also owns one of the most impressive lefty guitar collections you are ever likely to see!

6. Zacky Vengeance

Zacky Vengeance is the rhythm guitarist in the American heavy metal group Avenged Sevenfold, who to date have sold over 8 million records worldwide.

He is endorsed by Schecter and has had several signature models over the years, all of which have been available as a southpaw version.

You can check out the current range of left handed Schecter guitars here.

7. Albert King

One of many other iconic left handed guitarists to be inducted to the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Albert King is one of the most influential names in Blues.

King is mostly recognized for playing Gibson Flying V guitars.

Interestingly, he used a minor tuning of C# G# B E G# C#, but he never used the sixth string on his guitars!

8. Eric Gales

Eric Gales is an American blues-rock guitar player. Aside from releasing several of his own successful solo albums, he is also a highly sought-after session musician. 

He is a little different from most lefty guitar players in that he plays a right handed guitar upside down, without reversing the strings!

Eric has a range of signature Magneto guitars, one of which you can see him rocking above!

9. Dick Dale

After pioneering the style of music known as surf guitar, Dick Dale was crowned the King of the genre.

Dale also worked closely with Fender’s amplifier division and helped to push the boundaries of amp design. This collaboration resulted in the production of the world’s first-ever 100-watt model.

He was most associated with playing Fender Stratocasters and even had his own signature model.

Dick sadly passed away in March 2019 at the age of 81.

10. Otis Rush

Otis Rush is perhaps the most intense, and soulful bluesman of his era.

Unlike most southpaw players, Otis plays guitar with the string order reversed, i.e. he has the low E on the bottom.

As a result, you will most likely spot him in videos playing right handed guitars upside down.

He is arguably best known for playing Gibson ES 335 guitars. And what a voice!

11. Tim Armstrong

Tim Armstrong is most widely known as the guitarist and vocalist for Rancid, one of the most successful punk bands of all time.

He has his own signature left handed Gretsch guitars as well as a signature Fender acoustic dubbed The Hellcat.

12. Mikey Demus

Mikey Demus is the guitar player in the Welsh band Skindred, who are widely acknowledged as being one of the best live acts in the world.

He is also the co-owner of the Redbeard Effects pedal company.

Mikey currently has his own signature guitar with Manson Guitars, as well as a signature string set from Rotosound.

13. Malina Moye

Malina Moye is an American left handed guitarist known for her fusion of a variety of different genres including rock, blues, funk, and soul.

She plays left handed but strings her guitars upside down.

She is endorsed by Fender and is best known for rocking her custom seafoam green Stratocaster.

In addition, Malina has her own set of Dean Markley signature strings!

14. Al Mckay

Al Mckay is best known for being the guitarist in the American funk band Earth, Wind, and Fire, as well as for being a successful session musician in his own right.

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He has also won an incredible five Grammy awards throughout his impressive career.

15. Paul Gray

Also known as ‘the Pig’ or ‘#2’, Paul Gray was the left handed bassist for metal behemoths Slipknot.

Paul was known for playing Ibanez guitars, with whom he had several signature bass models.

Unfortunately, Paul sadly died of a drug overdose in 2010.

Check him out live in my favorite Slipknot track ‘Duality’ above.

16. Omar Rodriguez Lopez

Omar Rodriguez Lopez is best known as being the guitar player in the energetic American rock band The Mars Volta.

He currently has his own signature guitar with Music Man – the Mariposa.

Before switching to Music Man, Omar had his own short-scale Ibanez signature model which was available as standard in a lefty version!

17. Barbara Lynn

Barbara Lynn, aka the ‘Empress of Gulf Coast Soul’ is an R&B guitarist from Texas, USA.

She is probably best known for her 1962 number-one single “You’ll Lose a Good Thing“, and at the time of writing she has released 8 studio albums.

18. Cesar Rosas

Cesar Rosas is the guitarist and vocalist in the multi-Grammy award-winning band Los Lobos, with whom he has been performing since 1973.

He is an easily recognizable character due to his trademark black sunglasses and slicked-back black hair.

He currently plays Alhambra guitars.

19. Cameron Liddell

Cameron Liddell is the rhythm guitarist in the English metalcore band Asking Alexandria. 

He was previously endorsed by Ibanez Guitars and even had his own signature model for a couple of years.

Most recently, he has been known to rock Music Man Guitars.

20. Paulo Morete

Paulo is the lead guitarist in Spanish hard-rock bands InMune and Absenci, and the only person on this list that I know personally!

He is currently endorsed by PRS Guitars and DV Mark Amps amongst others.

Paulo recently released his debut solo track which you can hear above.

21. Mdou Moctar

Mdou Moctar is a Nigerien musician who plays rock music influenced by the desert blues.

He is frequently referred to as the ‘Jimi Hendrix of the Sahara’.

Mdou is known for playing Fender Stratocasters, but his first instrument was actually a DIY guitar fashioned from a slab of wood and a bicycle cable!

22. Doyle Bramhall II

Doyle Bramhall II is a blues and left handed rock guitarist and producer from Texas, USA.

He is arguably best known for his guitar work with both Eric Clapton and Roger Waters.

Doyle plays left handed guitars but strings them upside down resulting in a unique playstyle.

23. Courtney Barnett

Australian-born artist Courtney Barnett is recognizable for her deadpan style of singing, as well as her verbose and clever lyrics.

She is mainly known for performing with a range of lefty Fender guitars and prefers to play with her fingers over a pick.

24. Toronzo Cannon

Toronzo Cannon is a Chicago, USA-born blues guitarist and singer.

Aside from having a badass name, he has released five albums and regularly headlines the Chicago Blues Festival.

He is known for playing a range of left handed guitars including Strats and Les Pauls, but his most recognizable axe has to be his custom GTR guitar that features a Chicago flag finish!

25. Elizabeth Cotten

Born in 1893 in North Carolina, USA, Elizabeth Cotten was a self-taught blues and folk musician.

Unlike most of the artists on this list, she did not find fame until later on in her life after retiring from playing guitar for 25 years.

She played right handed guitars held upside down.

As a result, had a unique playstyle where she would play the melody with her thumb and the bassline with her other fingers which came to become known as ‘Cotten picking’.

26. Michael Angelo Batio

Shred guitarist Michael Angelo Batio is a right-handed player. However, he does play his double and quad-neck guitars left handed, so we can include him here, right?

MAB is best known for being the guitarist in the 80s glam-metal band Nitro, his numerous shred guitar instructional DVDs, plus his insane multi-neck guitars!

27. Coco Montoya

Best known for playing with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Coco Montoya is an American blues guitar player and vocalist.

He is another self-taught guitarist who favors playing guitars strung upside down and is mainly seen wielding Fender Stratocasters.

MORE Famous Left Handed Guitar Players

Here are a few more well-known lefties that you might be familiar with.

I have split them into two separate lists – those that play with the normal string order, and those that prefer to string upside down.

Lefty Guitar Players With Normal Tuning

Left-Handed Guitar Players Who Play Upside Down

Dishonorable Mentions – both Billy Ray Cyrus and Justin Bieber are also famous left handed guitar players. But we’ll just keep that between us, right?

Obviously, there are tons more guitarists that I haven’t mentioned – please send me an email if you think there is a glaring omission here!

You’ll find a link to the contact form in the footer below.

Uncommon Sound

Uncommon Sound by John Engel is the definitive guide to the famous left handed guitarists who have shaped the world of music.

It is the ultimate coffee table book for southpaw players, and you can read my review here.

I have also put together a further list of 41 left handed bassists that changed the face of music. Make sure to check that article out as well!

Who is the MOST Famous Left Handed Guitarist?

Jimi Hendrix is arguably the most famous left handed guitarist on this huge list. Although his career spanned just 4 years before his untimely death at the age of 27, he is recognized as being one of the most iconic and influential guitarists of all time.

Famous Left Handed PEOPLE

Also check out my huge list of 100+ Famous Left Handed People for additional left handed musicians, artists, movie-stars, entrepreneurs, and more!

You Might Also Like

• The Greatest Female Guitar Players
• 43 Amazing Facts About Guitar

The post 71 Famous Left Handed Guitarists appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Looking for the definitive list of famous left handed bassists? Well, you’ve found it!

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at 41 of the world’s greatest left handed bass players, as well as a handful of musicians that you probably haven’t heard of. You could say that I’ve covered all bases – ba dum tish…

For guitarists, make sure to also check out my list of famous left handed guitar players for a ton of additional southpaw musicians.

For each of these left handed bass players I have included a brief bio plus a video where you can watch them in action. We’ll start off the list with the player that most people will be familiar with…

Left Handed Bassists

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is the world’s most famous left handed bassist, and is also one of the most successful music artists of all time. In addition, he is currently one of the wealthiest musicians, with an estimated net worth of over $1.2 billion!

Although Paul is a well-rounded instrumentalist he is known as a left handed bass player first and foremost. During his early years with the Beatles, he was best known for using a short-scale Hofner 500/1 violin bass, which is probably the instrument most closely associated with his career. However, he later began to favor using a left handed Rickenbacker 4001S when recording.

As far as his playstyle is concerned, he did occasionally play fingerstyle, but he is primarily known for using a pick to achieve his powerful sound. Over the course of his career, his bass playing has consistently evolved, making him a very interesting player to listen to.

dUg Pinnick

Doug Pinnick (or dUg) is best known for being the left handed bass player and co-vocalist in the prog metal band Kings X. The band was formed in 1979 and is still going strong to this day!

Numerous bands have cited Kings X as being a big influence on their sound, for example, Pantera, The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Dream Theater to name a few.

dUg currently has his own signature left handed Schecter bass models, including a monster 12-string instrument called the DP-12. He also has an eye-catching signature semi-hollow t-bass which you can see in action below.

Check out dUg ripping out one of King X’s biggest hits ‘Over My Head‘ in the video above.

Paul Gray

Paul Gray, aka ‘the Pig’, aka ‘#2’, was a founding member of heavy metal giants Slipknot, who he played bass with for 15 years. In addition to being the band’s bassist, he was also a backing vocalist as well as one of the main songwriters.

He had his own signature 4-string left handed Ibanez bass guitar called the PGB1, which was of course available to us southpaw players. By the way, have you ever wondered why left handed people are called southpaws?

Paul sadly passed away in 2010 aged just 38. After his death, Ibanez released a tribute bass in his honor.

In the video above you can check out Paul unleashing my absolute favorite Slipknot track – Duality.

Ken Casey

Ken Casey is the bassist, as well as the songwriter and co-lead vocalist in the punk band Dropkick Murphys. You’ll probably know them for their 2005 track ‘Shipping Up To Boston‘ which was massively successful for the band.

Fun lefty fact. Dropkick Murphys was originally signed to the Hellcat Records label which is owned by Rancid guitarist Tim Armstrong – another fellow southpaw!

Ken is best known for playing a left handed Fender precision bass, although he has also been known to play jazz basses and, more recently, a Duesenberg Starplayer.

Watch Ken and co rip out their biggest track ‘Shipping Up To Boston’ live in the video above.

Robbie Merrill

Robbie Merrill is best known for being the left handed bassist in the hard rock band ‘Godsmack’. He was also part of the supergroup ‘Another Animal’ which featured members from Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox.

He is a well-rounded player, having played in bands and covered a ton of different genres including blues, reggae, prog, country, and even a 50s and 6s cover band!

Interestingly, Robbie is actually right-handed. Due to a birth defect that left him unable to move his left-hand middle finger, his only option was to learn to play guitar left handed.

Check out Godsmack’s cover of ‘Come Together‘ by the Beatles with Robbie doing his best Paul McCartney impression above!

Danielle Nicole

Danielle Nicole is a blues and soul left handed bassist from Missouri, USA. She found fame in the blues band ‘Trampled Under Foot’, but is currently recording and touring as the ‘Danielle Nicole Band’.

She is known for her distinctive and inventive playing, and was awarded the title of ‘bassist of the year’ at the 2022 Blues Music Awards. This wasn’t the first time she has won the prestigious award!

Danielle is known for playing Fender Jazz basses and also has a custom Delaney. She cites fellow left handed bass player Paul McCartney as one of her biggest influences.

Check out the video above for an incredible live version of ‘Pusher Man‘ from her 2018 album Cry No More.

Ed Gagliardi

Ed Gagliardi was best known for being the original bassist in the multi-platinum rock band Foreigner. He carried out bass duties on the band’s first two albums before being dismissed in 1979 after a series of disputes with guitarist Mick Jones.

Interestingly, Ed is not actually naturally left-handed. He decided to become a left-handed bass player as he was such a huge fan of Paul McCartney! His McCartney influence didn’t end there, however, as he even went as far as to use the same bass as Macca – a Fireglo left-handed Rickenbacker 4001.

Sadly, Ed passed away from cancer aged 62 in May 2014 after battling the disease for eight years.

Listen to Ed in action in the live 1978 recording of Foreigner’s ‘The Damage is Done’ in the video above.

Paul Wilson

Although starting off as a guitarist in Scottish band Terra Diablo, he later switched to bass duties when he joined alternative rock giants Snow Patrol in 2005.

He is a multi-instrumentalist, and once said that he can ‘play most things unless they have to be blown into’. For example, he is an accomplished piano, drums, and banjo player in addition to guitar and bass!

He is best known for using Rickenbacker basses and favors his 4003 model when playing live.

Watch Paul and company entertaining a massive crowd at the 2018 Rock AM Ring festival in the video above.

Alan Longmuir

Let’s keep the Scottish theme going! Alan Longmuir was a founding member of the 1970s pop band the Bay City Rollers. At the height of their fame, the Bay City Rollers were heralded as being the ‘biggest group since the Beatles’.

He was known for playing Fender basses, and would generally play a right-handed model strung upside down. Presumably due to it being much harder to find a southpaw bass back then!

He tragically passed away in 2018 aged just 70 after falling ill while on holiday in Mexico.

Check out the live video of the Bay City Rollers performing their hit ‘Rock ‘N Roll Honeymoon‘ with Alan on bass and vocals above.

Scott Reeder

Scott Reeder is currently the left handed bassist in the heavy metal band Fireball Ministry, but is also well known for his work with the rock bands The Obsessed, Kyuss, and Across the River.

Along with Jason Newstead, Devin Townsend, and Dale Crover, he formed a short-lived supergroup that unfortunately never released any music. Man, would I have loved to hear the tracks that those four powerhouses would have put out!

As you would expect from a left handed bass player, he does use a lefty bass. But unusually, he strings the instruments upside down! As with players like Eric Gales who also play this way, he does this as when he was learning he would play on his father’s guitars upside down.

Here’s a fantastic, in-depth interview with Scott where he does a little playing and talks about his career and gear.

MonoNeon

Dwayne Thomas Jr (aka MonoNeon) is an incredible bass player who is widely popular on YouTube, and has the claim to fame of being one of the last artists to work with Prince.

He is actually right-handed, but he plays on a right-handed bass strung upside down, left-handed. This allows him to perform heavy string bends using his dominant hand. His slap technique is also unique as a result, as he still performs slaps with his thumb and pops with his fingers.

Combine this unorthodox technique with his very experimental play style, and you have a recipe for a fabulously interesting player indeed!

Fender recently unveiled the new MonoNeon signature Jazz bass V with an eye-popping neon yellow finish and neon orange scratchplate!

Jimi Goodwin

Jimi Goodwin is the bass player and vocalist for the British alternative rock band Doves. He is a multi-instrumentalist and actually played almost every instrument on his debut solo album Odludek.

Continuing in the trend of the previous two players, Jimi plays bass in an unorthodox fashion. He uses a right-handed bass strung for right-handed play, but flips it upside down.

He is best known for playing Fender precision basses and Ampeg SVT amplifiers.

Watch Jimi live with Doves in the video above where he belts out ‘There Goes The Fear‘ from their album ‘The Last Broadcast’.

Jimmy Haslip

Jimmy Haslip was a founding member of the American jazz fusion band the Yellowjackets. He left the band in 2012 to concentrate on his family and other musical projects after 35 years of recording and touring.

He has also released two solo albums and has collaborated with a huge number of respected musicians and bands including Kiss, Allan Holdsworth, Chaka Khan, Tommy Bolin, and Harvey Maden amongst many others.

His first bass was a right-handed model which he learned to play left handed without restringing. So far, this definitely seems to be a common trait amongst left handed bassists who grew up in the pre-internet era!

Check out the short video bio for Jimmy above in which he talks about his career and shows off some of his impressive chops.

Gerald Casale

Gerald Casale is best known for being the bass player and co-vocalist in the American new wave rock band Devo. He co-founded the group in 1973 and has been performing with them for almost 5 decades now!

In addition to his work with Devo, he is also a successful solo artist and has directed numerous music videos for various other artists including The Cars, Rush, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Silverchair.

Gerald is known for playing his heavily customized basses, the most recognizable of which is a left handed Gibson ripper bass with its horns sawed off. He also regularly plays a Steinberger L-series headless bass.

Check out the video above to see Devo unleashing ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ live.

Kathy Foster

Kathy Foster is most widely known for being the bass player in the American indie rock band The Thermals. She co-founded the band in 2002 and continued to record and tour with them until they split in 2018.

In addition, she is also the drummer for the All Girl Summer Fun band which is still active today.

For the video, I have selected one of the Thermals’ best-known tracks ‘Never Listen To Me’, in which Kathy plays a black Fender jazz bass.

More Left Handed Bass Players

I feel like I’ve covered a pretty good selection of left handed bass players so far, but there are plenty more that we haven’t yet covered! Here is a summary list of some additional lefties who you should also definitely give a listen to.

Jarkko Ahola – Finnish bassist and singer for various metal bands including Teräsbetoni, Northern Kings, Dreamtale, Cosmic Spell, and Helmisetti.

Martin Eric Ain – American bassist from extreme metal band Celtic Frost. He tragically passed away in 2017 following a heart attack.

Rosemary Butler – Although best known as a singer, she began her career playing bass in the all-female band the Ladybirds.

Stuart Chatwood – Best known for being the bassist in the Canadian rock band The Tea Party, but also has forged a successful career composing music for video games.

Jason Christopher – American bassist known for playing with Corey Taylor, Prong, Ministry, Stone Sour, and Sebastian Bach.

Flavio Cianciarulo – Argentinian musician who plays both electric and upright bass. Known for his work in ska band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and supergroup De La Tierra.

Nick Feldman – An English bass player and founding member of the new wave band Wang Chung. He was also part of the electronic music band Promised Land with Jon Moss from Culture Club.

Keith Ferguson – American bassist for the blues-rock band ‘The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He tragically died aged just 50 in 1997 due to liver failure.

Karl Green – Best known for playing bass in the British rock and pop group Herman’s Hermits from 1963 until 1980. Currently performs with the Karl Green band.

Richard Hammond – A British electric and double-bass player. Has performed with a plethora of artists including Josh Groban, Sister Sledge, Tony Hadley, and Gary Barlow.

Colin Hodgkinson – British bassist who has played in numerous bands including Whitesnake, Chris Rea, and Back Door. Also a prolific session and studio musician.

Lee Jackson – British musician best known for his bass playing in the prog-rock band The Nice. He also formed the Jackson Heights band in 1970, as well as the prog-rock band Refugee in 1973.

Chris Jennings – A left handed double bassist from Canada. Plays a custom left handed double bass made by luthier Thomas Martin.

Jennifer Leitham – An American double bass player who goes by the nicknames ‘Lefty’ or ‘The Southpaw’.

Joe Long – An American bass player best known for his work with the rock band the Four Seasons until the mid-1970s. He sadly died in 2021 after complications arising from a COVID-19 infection.

Nathen Maxwell – Bassist for American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly.

Josh Newton – Known for being the bass player in the American metalcore band Every Time I Die. Has also played with numerous other bands including Shiner, Biology, Season to Risk, and the Damned Things.

Lee Pomeroy – Currently playing bass in British prog-rock band Headspace. Has also toured with numerous artists including Steve Hackett, Take That, and Jeff Lynne’s ELO.

Christopher Ryan – Currently plays bass for USA alt rock-folk band Deer Tick.

Brad Savage – Although best known for his acting, Brad currently plays bass in the charity band ‘Band From TV’. All members of the group are actors from USA tv shows, for example, Hugh Lawrie and Teri Hatcher.

Jeff Schmidt – An American bassist who plays inverted right-handed basses. Known for his solo work as well as his bass-centric podcast.

Joris Teepe – Dutch left-handed double-bass player and composer. Known for playing jazz, free jazz, and bebop styles.

Wayman Tisdale – A professional NBA basketball player who was also a prolific musician. He released 8 jazz albums, with his 2001 release Face to Face reaching the number one position on the contemporary jazz charts.

Mark White – Although he has collaborated with many bands and artists, he is best known for being the bassist for the alternative rock band The Spin Doctors.

Pete Wright – From 1977 until 1984 he was the bassist in the English punk band Crass.

A. W. Yrjänä – A poet as well as singer and bassist in the Finnish rock band CMX.

Missing Players?

I have tried my very best to find and include as many famous left handed bassists as I could. But I have no doubt that I have still missed a handful! So, if you feel that I have left out anyone important, please shoot me an email and I will be sure to add their name. You’ll find a link to the contact form in the footer below.

Next up, why not check out my list of famous left handed guitar players where you’ll find even more world-class southpaw musicians!

There’s also my guide to the greatest female bassists past and present.

You can also check out my list of Over 100 Famous Left Handed People for a more general selection of celebrity southpaws.

The post 41 Famous Left Handed Bassists appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Settle in and grab your coffee, because it’s going to be a long one!

Something I quickly noticed when researching this article is that there is a lot of false information out there on the topic. It’s very easy to do a quick google image search to find out whether someone is left handed or not. It would seem that a lot of other lists of left handed people have not been properly fact checked, or just copy-pasted from other lists, wrongly assuming that they are correct.

Since assuming anything on the internet is a dangerous game, I have made sure to check each of the celebrities below to make sure that they are actually left handed people. To do this I located images of them clearly using their left hand when signing autographs or writing.

At the end of this article you’ll also find a list of famous left handed celebrities who regularly appear in left handed lists, but who aren’t actually southpaws themselves – imposters!

Famous Left Handed People

I have arranged this list by first name, so apologies if you would have preferred it by surname.

Let’s dive in to this gold mine of left handedness!

Adam Levine

Adam Levine is an American musician, best recognised as being the lead singer in pop-rock band Maroon 5. He is also known for being a long-serving coach on reality talent show The Voice.

Furthermore, he has also dabbled in acting, having appeared in hit shows such as American Horror Story. In addition, Adam also owns his own record label, fragrance line, and menswear range. Busy guy!

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian movie actor and producer, tv host, and former politician.

He is widely regarded as being one of the greatest and most accomplished actors in the rich history of Indian cinema. He has appeared in over 200 movies throughout a career spanning in excess of 5 decades!

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, moviemaker, and humanitarian. She has been named Hollywood’s best paid actress on numerous occasions, and has won several accolades, including three Golden Globe awards and an Academy award.

Some of her most notable roles include playing Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider franchise, Lisa Rowe in Girl, Interrupted, and Gia Carangi in Gia.

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox is a Scottish-born singer-songwriter, political activist, and philanthropist. She found fame in the 1980s as part of pop-duo the Eurythmics, with songs such as ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘There Must Be An Angel’, and ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’.

Annie has also enjoyed success as a solo artist with songs such as ‘No More I Love You’s’ and ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’. She has been named the most successful female British artist in the history of UK music.

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth was an American professional baseball player, with a career spanning 22 seasons from 1914 until 1935.

This famous left handed slugger is recognised by many as being the greatest baseball player of all time, and was one of the first to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama was the first African-American president of the United States, and 44th overall, serving from 2009 until 2017. He is one of a long list of left handed recent USA presidents.

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller is an American movie star, comedian, producer, director, and screenwriter. To date, he has been involved in over 50 movies, including Zoolander, There’s Something About Mary, Meet The Parents, Dodgeball, and the Night at the Museum film series.

Throughout his career he has won numerous awards, including an Emmy, several MTV movie awards, and a Britannia award.

Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is an American-born writer, known for his humorous books on travel, science, language, and other non-fiction subjects.

He is widely praised for his ability to explain scientific topics to the every day Joe, with his book ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ in particular receiving numerous awards.

Bill Clinton

Another left handed person, Bill Clinton was the 42nd serving president of the United States from 1993 until 2001.

Before being elected as president he was governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1981, and prior to that, attorney general of Arkansas. He left his role of president with the highest end-of-office approval rating of any U.S president since 1945.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is best known as being the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation. In addition, he is a prolific investor, author, and philanthropist.

With the exception of just two years, he held the title of the world’s most wealthiest person from 1995 until 2017.

Bob Geldof

Bob Geldof is an Irish singer-songwriter and political activist. In the 1970s he found fame in the rock band the Boomtown Rats, where he was the lead singer.

In 1984 he co-founded the charity supergroup Band Aid with the aim of raising money to help with famine in Ethiopia. The following year he organised the legendary Live Aid concert to continue raising funds for Ethiopia.

Bruce Willis

Next up in our list of famous people who are left handed is Bruce Willis, an American actor and movie producer. To date, he has appeared in over 70 movies, with his most recognisable role being action hero John McClane in the Die Hard franchise.

Other notable movie credits include Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, and The Sixth Sense. He has received numerous awards over his impressive career, including a Golden Globe, two Emmys, and two People’s Choice awards.

Cardi B

Cardi B is an American rapper and songwriter. She originally found popularity on Vine and Instagram, and was later signed to Atlantic Records after appearing on Love & Hip Hop: New York, a VH1 reality tv series.

Her debut album in 2018 reached number one on the Billboard charts, and was named the top female rap album of the decade. She has received numerous accolades including a Grammy, 8 Billboard Music Awards, and 5 American Music Awards amongst others.

Christian Slater

Christian Slater is an American actor and producer. He made his movie debut in 1985 playing Binx in ‘The Legend of Billie Jean’, and later gained wider popularity thanks to his role in the 1989 satire ‘Heathers’.

Other notable movies he has appeared in include ‘True Romance’, ‘Interview With The Vampire’, ‘Broken Arrow’, and ‘Hard Rain’. Throughout his career he has won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe, and 2 MTV Movie Awards.

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Raymond Stantz in the Ghostbusters franchise, and for playing Elwood in the Blues Brothers movies.

He is also part of the Blues Brothers band, which has been touring since 1978. In addition he also co-founded the ‘House Of Blues’ chain of music venues, and the vodka brand ‘Crystal Head’.

David Bowie

David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter, as well an an actor. He is widely regarded as being one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century.

He is also recognised as being one of the best selling artists of all time, having shifted over 100 million records worldwide. Following his death in 2016, Rolling Stone magazine named him the ‘Greatest Rock Star Ever‘.

David Rockefeller

David Rockefeller was an American banker. He was the chief executive and chairman of Chase Manhattan Corporation, one of the big four banks of the United States.

He passed away in 1917 aged 101, and had amassed an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion.

Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid is an American actor.

Notable movies that he has appeared in include The Big Easy, Frequency, Far From Heaven, The Special Relationship, and Dragonheart. He is the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid (also a natural lefty!).

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is an American actress and movie-maker. She first found fame through her roles as Kay Adams-Corleone in the Godfather trilogy of movies. Other notable movies in which she appears include ‘Play It Again, Sam’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘The First Wives Club’, and ‘Father of the Bride’.

Throughout her career she has won numerous awards, including 2 Golden Globes, a Bafta, an Academy Award, and the AFI Life Achievement Award.

Eminem

Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers III) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is recognised as being one of the greatest rap artists of all time and has sold over 220 million records worldwide at the time of writing – making him also one of the best-selling music artists of all time!

In addition, he has also appeared in a string of movies including the hit 2002 semi-autobiographical film ‘8 Mile’. One of many left handed rappers in this list!

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson is a British actress, producer, author, and comedian. Notable movies that she has appeared in include the Harry Potter franchise, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, Howards End, and Saving Mr. Banks.

Throughout her career she has received numerous accolades, including 2 Golden Globes, 2 Academy Awards, 3 BAFTAs, and an Emmy.

George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from 1989 until 1993. In addition, he also served as the 43rd vice president under Ronald Reagan from 1981 until 1989.

He was the first incumbent vice president to go on to become president since 1836, when Martin Van Buren achieved the same feat.

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 until 1977. Prior to this, Ford also served as the 40th united states vice president under Richard Nixon.

To this day, Gerald Ford is the only person to have served as both vice president and president without being elected by the Electoral College.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn is an American actress, producer, singer and dancer. Notable movies that she has appeared in include Cactus Flower, The First Wives Club, Death Becomes Her, Shampoo, and Private Benjamin.

She has won an Academy Award, as well as a Golden Globe, and was also recently inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay is a Scottish-born chef, television personality, and writer. His global restaurant group ‘Gordon Ramsay Restaurants’ has been recognised with 16 Michelin stars in total, and at the time of writing, holds 7.

As a TV personality, he is best known for hosting competitive cookery and food shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. In 2020, Forbes ranked him as being the 19th highest-earning celebrity in the world.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor, producer, and singer. As a movie-star, he is probably best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men franchise.

Other notable films that he has appeared in include ‘The Prestige’, ‘Les Misérables’, ‘The Greatest Showman’, and ‘Kate & Leopold’. Throughout his career he has received numerous awards, including a Grammy, and a Golden Globe.

James Cameron

James Cameron is a Canadian movie director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his big-budget sci-fi films such as Terminator 1 & 2, Aliens, and Avatar.

He is also known for directing and writing the critically acclaimed ‘Titanic’, which was the highest grossing movie of all time until Avatar overtook it in 2010! In addition, Cameron is also an environmentalist and owns numerous sustainability businesses.

James Cromwell

James Cromwell is an American actor and activist. Movies that he is best known for include ‘L.A Confidential’, ‘The Green Mile’, ‘Babe’, and ‘The Artist’.

He is also known for his roles in television shows such as ‘American Horror Story’, ‘Six Feet Under’, and ‘Boardwalk Empire’. He has been awarded and nominated for numerous accolades including an Emmy and a Canadian Screen Award.

Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander is an American actor, comedian, director and presenter. He is undoubtedly best known for his role as George Costanza in the hugely successful ‘Seinfeld’ television comedy series.

Other notable roles include playing Philip Stuckey in Pretty Woman, and the lead character in the nominated series Duckman. He has also had a successful career both starring in and directing musicals.

Jay Leno

Jay Leno is an American tv host, comedian, and writer. After gaining popularity as a stand-up comic, he went on to become the host of talk show ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’, and subsequently “The Jay Leno Show’.

He is a huge car and motorcycle enthusiast, and currently hosts ‘Jay Leno’s Garage’. In 2014 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the Hunger Games series of movies, and in the X-Men franchise. Other notable movies she has appeared in include American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, Mother!, and Red Sparrow.

She was the world’s highest paid actress in both 2015 and 2016, and has been awarded many accolades, including an Academy Award and 3 Golden Globes (at the time of writing).

Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders is an English actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She is best known for her roles as herself in the sketch show ‘French and Saunders’, and Edina Monsoon in the sitcom ‘Absolutely Fabulous’.

Throughout her career she has won several awards, including 3 BAFTAs, a People’s Choice Award, and a British Comedy Award.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner is an American actor and singer. He is probably best known for his role as Hawkeye in several of the Marvel universe movies. In addition, he has appeared in 2 movies from the Mission Impossible franchise, The Bourne Legacy, American Hustle, and Hansel and The Hurt Locker, amongst others.

He has been nominated for several prestigious film awards, and has won several, including a Film Critics’ Choice award for his role in American Hustle.

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is as American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is undoubtedly best known for playing himself on the hit U.S comedy ‘Seinfeld’.

Famously, Seinfeld was the first ever tv actor to rake in US$1 million per episode when the sitcom was at the height of its popularity. At the time of writing he is the host of the popular show ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is widely regarded as being one of the most influential and celebrated musicians of the 20th century. Rolling Stone has ranked him as being the greatest guitar player of all time.

If asked to name a few famous left handers, Jimi Hendrix would surely be on most people’s lists! Although naturally left handed, he was actually forced not to write with his left hand as a child.

Joan of Arc

One to take with a pinch of salt, as the only ‘evidence’ of her left handedness is through hand-writing analysis and artistic depictions.

Joan of Arc was born around 1412, and famously led the French army to victory against the English in 1429 at Orléans when they were attempting to defeat France during the Hundred Years’ War.

John McEnroe

John McEnroe is a former American professional tennis player. He is famous for his fiery temper on court, which often landed him in trouble with tennis umpires and regulators.

He ended his career on an impressive 77 single and 78 doubles titles, and also attained the world number one ranking in both divisions. Since retiring from professional tennis, he taken on commentating roles as well as coaching current players.

Judy Garland

Judy Garland was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She has appeared in over 20 movies, but is best remembered for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Other notable movies she starred in include Meet Me in St. Louis, A Star Is Born, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Summer Stock.

She also released 8 studio albums, and hosted her own show – The Judy Garland Show. She died in London in 1969 aged 47 from an accidental overdose.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts is an American actress and producer. She gained popularity after starring in the hit romantic comedy Pretty Woman. Other notable movies she has appeared in include Erin Brockovich, Notting Hill, Ocean’s 11 & 12, Runaway Bride, and My Best Friend’s Wedding amongst many, many others.

She has won several awards over her impressive career, including 3 Golden Globes and an Academy Award (at the time of writing).

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore is an American actress and author. Hit movies that she has appeared in include Nine Months, Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, Still Alice, and The Hunger Games series.

Throughout her career she has received numerous accolades, including two Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, and an Academy Award. (at the time of writing). As an author, she also has a successful series of children’s books which were also adapted into a musical.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer who was accidentally discovered on YouTube at a young age. His first album My World 2.0, debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200, making him the youngest solo male artist to achieve this feat since Stevie Wonder in 1963.

At the time of writing he has sold over 150 million albums worldwide, and has received numerous accolades including 2 Grammys, 21 MTV Europe Music Awards, and 20 Billboard Music Awards.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson is an American actress, author and fashion designer. She gained popularity through her role as Penny Lane in the hit 2000 movie Almost Famous. Other notable films she has appeared in include How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, You, Me and Dupree, Mother’s Day, and Music.

Kate has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe for her performance in Almost Famous. She is the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn (another entry in this list of famous left handed celebrities!).

Keanu Reeves

Our left handedness quest continues with Keanu Reeves, a well known Canadian actor. He made his movie debut in the 1986 sports-drama Youngblood, but didn’t receive widespread popularity until his role in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1989.

Keanu is probably most well known for his role as Neo in the Matrix trilogy. He has established himself as a movie action hero, with leading roles in films such as Speed, Point Break, and the John Wick series.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was an American musician, known for being the frontman of legendary rock band Nirvana. He is widely considered as being one of the most influential and iconic rock stars of all time.

To date, Nirvana has sold in excess of 75 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling bands ever. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Kurt died in 1994 aged 27 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is one of the world’s best selling music artists, having sold over 200 million records at the time of writing. With the exception of her debut record (which reached number 2), all of her albums have reached the number one position in the U.S charts.

As an actress, she has starred in ‘A Star Is Born’ alongside Bradley Cooper, and received a Golden Globe for her performance in in the miniseries ‘American Horror Story’.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, and theorist. He is widely regarded as being one of the greatest painters of all time, and is also credited with having founded the High Renaissance. His ‘Mona Lisa’ artwork is generally thought of as being the world’s most famous painting.

In addition, his ‘Last Supper’ painting is the most reproduced religious artwork of all time. Furthermore, he also made several substantial discoveries in anatomy, engineering, geology, hydrodynamics and other fields.

Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. She is undoubtedly best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay (and her twin sister Ursula) in Friends, one of the most popular television shows of all time.

She has also appeared in and directed a number of other tv shows and movies, such as ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, The Opposite of Sex, Kabluey, and The Comeback.

M.C. Escher

M.C. Escher was a Dutch artist, famous for his detailed and mathematically inspired works that create unusual optical and conceptual effects. Although not fully appreciated during his lifetime, he has become one of the most celebrated artists of all time.

In total, he produced some 2000 drawings and sketches, as well as around 450 wood engravings, woodcuts, and lithographs.

Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill is an American actor and writer. He is undoubtedly best known for his roles as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series of movies. He has also appeared in other films such as Corvette Summer, and The Big Red One, as well as various theater productions.

In addition he has leant his voice to many animated movies, such as Batman: The Animated Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Regular Show.

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, and former musician. Although beginning his career in the group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, he transitioned into acting and became one of Hollywood’s leading male stars.

Well known movies that he has appeared in include Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm, Planet of the Apes, The Departed, and The Italian Job. He was the world’s highest paid actor in 2017 and has received numerous accolades throughout his career. He also co-owns the restaurant and bar chain ‘Wahlburgers’ with his two brothers.

Martin Freeman

Martin Freeman is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Tim Canterbury in The Office television series, and as Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit movie trilogy.

Other notable films that he has appeared in include Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Captain America: Civil War. Throughout his career he has received numerous accolades, including an Emmy, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova is a Czech-American former professional tennis player and coach. She is widely recognised as being one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She held the world number one position for a total of 332 weeks in singles, and 237 weeks in doubles.

Throughout her career she won a total of 59 major titles, and holds the record for most Grand Slam titles won by a single player. Incredibly, she won her last major title in 2006, just weeks before her 50th birthday!

Matt Dillon

Next up in the list of left handedness is Matt Dillon, an American actor and movie director. He made his feature movie debut in 1979s Over The Edge, and went on to cement himself as a teen idol in films such as My Bodyguard, Little Darlings, and The Outsiders.

Other notable movies that he has appeared in include There’s Something About Mary, Wild Things, You, Me and Dupree, and Crash.

Matt Groening

Matt Groening is an American animator, cartoonist, writer, and producer. He is best known as being the creator of The Simpsons, the longest running television series in history.

In addition he is also the creator of the popular Futurama and Disenchantment animated television shows. Throughout his career has been awarded many accolades, including 13 Emmys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick is an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as Ferris Bueller in the 1986 comedy movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Other films he has appeared in include The Cable Guy, Godzilla, Inspector Gadget, and WarGames.

He also famously voiced adult Simba in The Lion King. Throughout his career he has been awarded with several accolades, including 2 Tony Awards, and a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman is an American actor and director. He is particularly well known for his distinctive deep voice, which has resulted in him undertaking many roles as narrator. Notable movies that he has appeared in include The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, Unforgiven, Amistad, Invictus, and The Dark Knight trilogy.

Throughout his impressive career he has gained many awards, including a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, and he has also been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman is an American-born Australian actress, producer, and singer. She first gained fame through her breakout role in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. Other notable movies that she has appeared in include Days of Thunder, Far and Away, Eyes Wide Shut, The Others, Batman Forever, and Moulin Rouge.

Throughout her career she has received an impressive 5 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys, and an Academy Award amongst others. In 2020, the New York Times placed her as the fifth greatest actor of the 21st century.

Nikola Tesla

Next in our list of left handed people is Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, engineer, and futurist. He is best known for his contributions to the design of the current AC electricity supply network.

In total he obtained roughly 300 patents around the world for his many inventions. It is believed that Tesla was a natural left hander, but was taught not to write with his left hand from an early age.

Noel Gallagher

Noel Gallagher is an English musician and record producer. He is best known as being the lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter in UK rock band Oasis.

The band has sold over 75 million records and has received numerous accolades, including 17 NME Awards, 9 Q Awards, 4 MTV Europe Awards, and 6 Brit Awards. After departing Oasis in 2009 he formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is an American chat show host, tv host, producer, actress, and author. She is best known for her chat show ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’, which ran for a quarter of a century and was the highest-rated show of its kind in television history.

Oprah has regularly been ranked as being the most influential woman in the world. She has won several accolades throughout her career, including 18 Daytime Emmys, 2 Primetime Emmys, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya is an American former professional boxer. He was nicknamed ‘The Golden Boy of Boxing’, and has been ranked as one of the best boxers of all time.

He competed from 1992 until 2008 and won a total of 11 world titles across six different weight classes.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his association with director Wes Anderson, and has starred in many of his movies including The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zisou, and The Darjeeling Limited.

He has also starred in many well-loved comedy films such as Zoolander, Starsky & Hutch, Wedding Crashers, and Midnight in Paris.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is an English musician, and record and film producer. He is best known as being the bassist and co-lead vocalist in the Beatles. After the Beatles disbanded in 1970 he formed Wings and also embarked on a solo career, enjoying great success with both.

He is one of the most successful composers and performers in music history, and one of two left handed people in the Beatles, the other being Ringo Starr. At the time of writing he is also one of the wealthiest, with an estimated net worth of around £800 million.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins is an English musician, record producer, and actor. He is best known for being the drummer and singer in rock band Genesis, as well as for his successful solo career. His most successful tracks include In The Air Tonight, Against All Odds, I Wish It Would Rain Down, and Another Day in Paradise.

He is one of the world’s best selling musical artists, having sold around 150 million records worldwide. He has won 8 Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and 6 Brit Awards amongst many others over his long career.

King Charles

King Charles III is the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, becoming King of the United Kingdom after her passing in September 2022.

Hewas the longest serving Prince of Wales, holding the title from 1958 until 2022. He is also the author and co-author of approximately three dozen books.

Prince William

Prince William is a member of the British royal family.

He is the oldest son of King Charles (also a natural lefty), and Diana, Princess of Wales. and is next in line to the British throne.

Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid is an American actor, and older brother to actor Dennis Quaid (another member of this list of famous left handers!). He is probably best known for his role as cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series of films.

Other notable movies he has appeared in include The Last Detail, Midnight Express, LBJ: The Early Years, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Elvis. He was the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of U.S President Lyndon Johnson in 1987’s LBJ: The Early Years.

Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata is an Indian industrialist, philanthropist, and former chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Group, a multinational conglomerate manufacturer of airplanes, motor vehicles and other products.

He is also a leading philanthropist in India, supporting many fields such as medicine, rural development, and education.

Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson is an Australian comedian, actress, writer, singer, and producer. Movies she has appeared in include the Pitch Perfect series, How To Be Single, Grimsby, Isn’t It Romantic, Cats, and Jojo Rabbit.

She has won several awards throughout her career including MTV Movie Awards for best female performance and best breakthrough performance for her role in Pitch Perfect.

Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss is an American actor and writer. He is probably best known for his role as Hooper in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller Jaws.

Other notable movies in which he has appeared include The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Day Reagan Was Shot, Nuts, and Mr. Holland’s Opus. Throughout his career has been honored with many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, actor, author, and record producer. He is probably best known for his 1999 hit ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’, which helped him gain worldwide recognition.

Ricky is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, having sold in excess of 70 million articles worldwide. He has also enjoyed success as an actor, and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall was an English actor, comedian and writer. He has starred in many cult sitcoms throughout his career, including The Young Ones, Blackadder, and Bottom.

In addition, he has appeared in a number of hit movies including Drop Dead Fred, Guest House Paradiso, and Carry on Columbus. He died in 2014 aged 56 from a sudden heart attack.

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr is an English musician, singer, and actor. He achieved worldwide fame during the 1960s as the drummer of pop-rock band The Beatles. The band is the best-selling act of all time, with an unbelievable 600 million records sold worldwide.

The group has received 7 Grammy Awards, 4 Brits, an Academy Award, and 15 Ivor Novello awards amongst others. He is one of two left handed people in the Beatles, with the other being Paul McCartney.

Ron Perlman

Ron Perlman is an American actor. Movies that he has appeared in include Quest For Fire, Alien: Resurrection, Hellboy, The Name of The Rose, and Drive. He has also starred in many television shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Beauty and the Beast, and StartUp.

His distinctive voice has also landed him many narrative roles, for example he has narrated the Fallout series of video games since 1997.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Next in or compendium of left handed people is Sarah Jessica Parker, an American actress and producer. She is probably best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on the hit television series Sex and the City, which ran from 1998 until 2004.

In addition to her performances on television, she has also starred in many popular movies, including Footloose, Hocus Pocus, The First Wives Club, L.A. Story, Mars Attacks!, and The Family Stone.

Throughout her career she has received 4 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is married to actor Matthew Broderick, another entry in this list of famous left handers!

Scarlett Johanssen

Scarlett Johansson is an American actress and singer. Notable movies she has appeared in include Lost in Translation, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, and Her. She is also well known for her role as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow in various Marvel universe films.

In 2018 and 2019 she was ranked the world’s highest-paid actress. In addition to receiving numerous accolades including a Tony Award and a BAFTA, she has also been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Seal

Next in this list of left handedness is Seal, a British singer and songwriter. He is best known for the song Kiss From a Rose, which was released in 1994. Other hit songs include Crazy, and Killer.

He has sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide, and has received 3 Brit Awards, 4 Grammys, and 2 Ivor Novello awards amongst others. In addition he has also served as a coach on the popular reality show The Voice Australia.

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, and movie-maker. After starting his career as a stand-up comedian, and later a writer, Rogen found international fame through his performances in a variety of hit movies. Such movies include The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, and The Interview.

He has also lent his distinctive voice to many vocal roles in films including Shrek the Third, Ku Fu Panda, Sausage Party, and the Lion King (2019).

Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels is a former professional wrestler, actor, and tv presenter. He is widely regarded as being one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, having held the WWF Championship three times, and the WWE Championship once.

Now retired, he is currently a coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Technically he is ambidextrous, using his right hand to color and draw, but using his left hand to write.

Spike Lee

Spike Lee is an American movie director, producer, and actor. He has directed such films as She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, Malcolm X, and Summer of Sam.

He had produced over 35 movies and has also acted in several of them. Throughout his career he has won numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and 2 Emmys.

Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey is an American television presenter, actor, and comedian. Although beginning his career as a comedian, he is best known for hosting shows such as ‘The Steve Harvey Morning Show’ and ‘Family Feud’.

He has a star on the Holloywood Walk of Fame, and has won 7 Daytime Emmy Awards, 2 Marconi Awards, and has been inducted into the NAB Hall of Fame.

Tim Allen

Tim Allen is an American actor and comedian. He is probably best known for his roles as Tim ‘The Toolman’ Taylor in the sitcom Home Improvement, and Mike Baxter in Last Man Standing. In addition he is also recognised for voicing Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story series of movies.

Other films he has appeared in include Galaxy Quest, wild Hogs, Last Man Standing, and Joe Somebody. He has won numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe and 2 People’s Choice Awards.

Tina Fey

Tina Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best recognised for her work on the television sketch series Saturday Night Live, as well as for creating the comedy shows 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

The actress has also appeared in several hit movies, including Mean Girls (which she later adapted into a musical), Baby Mama, Date Night, Megamind, and Wine Country. Tina has received numerous awards, including 9 Emmys, 3 Golden Globes, 5 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 7 Writers Guild of America Awards.

Uri Geller

Uri Geller is an Israeli-British illusionist, television personality, and psychic. He is best known for his signature spoon bending television performances and other illusions, such as describing hidden drawings and making watches stop.

He claims that his feats are the result of paranormal powers, given to him by extra-terrestrials.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedian, author, and tv personality. She is probably best known for her role in the comedy movie Sister Act and Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit. Other movies she has appeared in include The Color Purple, and Ghost.

She is one of very few people to win all four of the major American awards – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. At the height of her career she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood.

Will Ferrell

The final entry in our list of famous lefties is Will Ferrell, an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. He gained popularity in the mid 1990s as a member of the sketch show Saturday Night Live, and has gone on to become one of the most famous comedy actors of all time.

His most recognisable role has to be Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman series of movies. Other notable movies that he has starred in include Elf, The Other Guys, Zoolander, Old School, Blades of Glory, Step Brothers. and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Need Even MORE?!

If you need even more left handed celebrities than these, why not also check out my huge list of left handed guitar players as well for some extra faces! These musicians all use their left hand to strum their instruments.

Or you can also browse my list of well known left handed bassists!

A Summary of Left Handed Celebrities

Here is a quick summary of some of the more populated professions of left handed celebrities. I was able to find images of all of these people using their left hand to write or sign autographs.

Left Handed Actors

Amitabh Bachchan, Angelina Jolie, Ben Stiller, Bruce Willis, Christian Slater, Dan Aykroyd, Dennis Quaid, Diane Keaton, Emma Thompson, Goldie Hawn, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman, James Cromwell, Jason Alexander, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Saunders, Jeremy Renner, Jerry Seinfeld, Judy Garland, Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Kate Hudson, Keanu Reeves, Lisa Kudrow, Mark Hamill, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Freeman, Matt Dillon, Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Owen Wilson, Randy Quaid, Rebel Wilson, Richard Dreyfuss, Rik Mayall, Ron Perlman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johanssen, Seth Rogen, Tim Allen, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Ferrell.

Left Handed Musicians

Adam Levine, Annie Lennox, Bob Geldof, Cardi B, David Bowie, Eminem, Jimmy Hendrix, Justin Bieber, Kurt Cobain, Lady Gaga, Noel Gallagher, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Ricky Martin, Ringo Starr, Seal.

See more in my list of left handed guitarists.

Left Handed Presidents & Leaders

Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Prince Charles, Prince William.

Left Handed Famous People (Who Aren’t Actually Lefties!)

While researching this list, it became very clear to me that there was a lot of mindless copying and pasting going on around the internet, without any real investigation into the topic. As a result, most of the other lists of famous left handers on the internet contain a large number of people who are right handed!

So here is a list of famous lefties that appear in those lists, who aren’t actually left handed. I discounted these left handed people as it is very easy to find images of them writing with their right rather than their left hand.

Albert Einstein, Buzz Aldrin, Brad Pitt, Celine Dion, Charlie Chaplin, Demi Moore, Diego Maradona, Drew Barrymore, Fred Astaire, Helen Keller, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jessica Alba, Jim Carrey, Jim Henson, Kenneth Branagh, Kim Basinger, Marilyn Monroe, Mark Zuckerberg, Neil Armstrong, Pierce Brosnan, Robert De Niro, Sting, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Winston Churchill.

It’s worth noting that there is every chance that some of these people could be natural left handers, forced not to write with their left hand. But in my research I could find no real evidence of this. Please drop me an email if you know otherwise.

Next Up – More Articles You’ll Love!

• 25 Amazing Facts About Left Handed People
• How Left Handed Are You? Take The Test!
• How Many People Are Left Handed? (More Than You Think!)

Expand The List of Famous Left Handed People!

If you think there is a glaring omission from this list of left handedness, please send me an email!

The post 100+ Famous Left Handed People appeared first on LeftyFretz.

What Is A Southpaw?

A southpaw is simply a person who is left handed. The term is most often used in sports to describe a person who hits or throws with their left hand.

However, it can also be used outside of sports, for example to describe a musician. A southpaw guitarist will strum or pick the strings with their left hand.

Indeed, the largest specialist lefty guitar store in the world is called Southpaw Guitars!

Where Did The Term Southpaw Come From?

Why are lefties called southpaws? Here are 4 potential southpaw origin theories and sources that should help to clear up this question.

Southpaw Origin In Baseball

Although opinions vary, the word southpaw was originally believed to have arisen from the early days of baseball in the 19th century.

In the past, before lighting made night time games possible, the baseball field would be arranged with the batter facing to the east so that they wouldn’t be staring straight into the afternoon sun.

This arrangement meant that a left handed pitcher’s throwing arm would be facing the south side of the diamond.

However, it was subsequently pointed out that several major league ball parks were not built with the batter facing to the east.

Southpaw Origin In Boxing

Other historians insist that the term actually originated from boxing, where in the early days of the sport, hitting an opponent with the left hand came to become known as punching using the south paw.

It is thought that the term was first coined during a bare-knuckle boxing fight in 1860. It was reported in the New York Herald that the winning fighter “planted his ‘south paw’ under [his opponent’s] chin, laying him out as flat as a pancake”.

In the movie Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s character attempts to explain where southpaw boxing came from. Although, obviously this is not a source to be trusted! Just for fun…

Earliest Use In Publications

But wait, there’s another potential southpaw origin source!

In 1848, a political illustration was published showing future USA president Millard Fillmore lying black-eyed on the floor, having been knocked down by the Democratic presidential candidate Lewis Cass.

His speech bubble reads “Curse the Old hoss wot a south paw he has given me!“. Although, Fillmore had the last laugh after later defeating Cass at the ballots to become president.

Fun Fact! If Lewis Cass had in fact defeated Millard Fillmore, then we would have had yet another name to add to the long, long list of left handed USA presidents!

Earliest Recorded Use of Southpaw

And we’re not quite finished yet! There actually is an even earlier recorded use of the term. Could this be the southpaw origin source?

If you cast your gaze back to the June 30th, 1813 issue of ‘The Tickler’, a Philadephia comic publication, there was a letter to the editor which read as follows…

Dear Toby,

Being in a room the other night where HONEST BOB happened to come in contact with a late number of your useful paper, his Irish eye in the general glance over it chanced to rest on “Bow, Vow, Vow,” when the Pat-riot in the fulness of his HONEST heart, exclaimed, “Arrah, by my shoal these Yaunkees are the divils boys at spaking V for W, so much that by the hill o’hoath in their very dogs have pecked it up, for instead of barking, Bow, Wow, Wow, as they ought it’s — it’s — (growing impatient) — arrah luk here mon, and convince yourself,” said he, holding up the Tickler, in the right paw, between the ceiling and the floor, and with the south paw pointing to the “bow, vow, vow”

Don’t ask me to decipher this, but there is a clearly a definite referral to the left hand as being the ‘south paw’. The right hand is referred to as the ‘right paw’ rather than the ‘north paw’.

Although the exact reason for this is unknown, it has been suggested that various negative religious associations with being left handed could be the cause.

North has long been thought of as being the direction of heaven, and south the direction of hell. For centuries many people believed that lefties were evil, so this is definitely a plausible explanation.

And there you have it, the earliest known use of the term southpaw!

Southpaw Stance In Sports

What Does Southpaw Mean In Boxing?

In boxing, a southpaw fighter holds their right hand and foot forward and leads with right hand jabs. They will unleash their most powerful blows with their dominant left hand.

It is the normal stance for a left handed boxer.

It is also sometimes referred to as ‘unorthodox stance’, which probably doesn’t help with the negative associations with being left handed!

William ‘Bendigo’ Thomson is credited with having introduced southpaw stance in the early 19th century.

The opposite to southpaw stance in boxing is known as orthodox stance, and is an exact mirror image of this pose. So, left hand and foot forward, and saving the right hand for the more punishing blows.

Famous southpaw boxers include Manny Pacquiao, Naseem Hamed, Marvelous Martin Hagler, Pernell Whitaker and Joe Calzaghe.

What Does Southpaw Mean In Baseball?

In baseball, a southpaw pitcher is a player who throws with their left hand. A southpaw hitter is a player who swings from left to right.

Famous southpaw pitchers include Sandy Koufax (aka, the Left Arm of God), Robert Grove, Randy Johnson, Clayton Kershaw, and Steve Carlton. Well known southpaw hitters include Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Lou Gehrig and Joe Jackson.

Although the term is rarely used, a right handed pitcher can be referred to as a northpaw.

Interestingly, there are no left handed catchers in major league baseball! Check out the video below to find out why.

Famous Left Handed Sports Players

• American Football : Steve Young, Boomer Esiason, Michael Vick, Ken Stabler
• Basketball : Bill Russell, David Robinson, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Artis Gilmore
• Cricket : Sanath Jayasuriya, Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara, SMathew Hayden
• Golf : Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Mike Weir, Bob Charles, Steve Flesch
• Hockey : Wayne Gretsky, Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, Roman Turek
• Tennis : Rafael Nadal, John McEnroe, Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova, Rod Laver

Do Southpaws Have An Advantage In Sports?

It is generally accepted that the rarity of southpaws gives them an advantage in certain sports, as right handed opponents are generally not used to taking on left handed players.

Studies have found that the advantage gained by southpaw athletes is more pronounced in sports where reaction times are limited, for example in tennis. It was found that the rate of left handed athletes increases as the time available to react decreased.

In the fastest sport analysed (baseball), it was found that a whopping 30% of top pitchers were southpaw players. When you consider that only 12% of the planet is left handed, that’s quite a statistic!

In the slowest sport (squash), only 9% of the best players were lefties.

Why are lefties called southpaws? Now that you know what southpaw means and where it came from, why not check out some of these other lefty-centric articles?

Other Articles You’ll Love

• 25 Amazing Facts About Left Handed People
• How Many People Are Left Handed? (More Than You Think!)
• Are Left Handed People EVIL?
• Famous Southpaw Guitarists
• 100+ Celebrities Who Are Left Handed

The post Why Is A Left Handed Person Called A Southpaw? Origin Explained appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Searching for interesting left handed facts? Within this article, you’ll discover 25 incredible facts about left handed people, from the funny to the weird, and everything in between!

One really interesting factoid that I picked up was from a scientist who believed that left handed people tended to be more independent as a result of having to adapt to a world that is largely built for right-handed individuals.

Here are a few more fascinating left handed people facts!

Left Handed People Facts

1. Make Up Roughly 12% of the Population

On average, 12% of the world is left handed, 87% right handed, and 1% ambidextrous. However, the percentage of lefties worldwide is slowly creeping up as being left handed becomes more socially accepted.

Believe it or not, to this day some countries still try and force children to learn to write with their right hand! For example, in 1860 when a left handed person was essentially seen as being in league with the devil, it is estimated that as little as 2% of the population was left handed.

The current 12% figure also varies by country and gender! Read our article ‘How many people are left handed?‘ to find out more.

We left handed guitarists are an even rarer breed! In a 2015 Reddit AMA Paul Reed Smith (the owner of PRS Guitars) claimed that only 0.5% of guitarists play the instrument left handed!

Ever wondered why some people are born lefty? Check out this awesome video for a quick explanation.

2. More Likely to Have Allergies

In the research book ‘Cerebral Dominance: The Biological Foundations” a study found that left handers were 11 times more likely to suffer from allergies than right handed folk.

The research also found that left handers were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from auto-immune disorders, for example, ulcerative colitis or rheumatoid arthritis.

3. More Prone to Migraines

In the same scientific study described above, it was also discovered that left handed people were roughly twice as likely to experience migraines when compared to right handed people.

4. More Likely to Suffer Sleep Deprivation

It turns out that being left handed may also potentially ruin the quality of slumber that you experience!

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a condition where your limbs move involuntarily during sleep. In a 2011 study ‘Assessment of Periodic Limb Movements in Right-handed Versus Left-handed Patients‘, it was found that 69% of right handed participants had bilateral limb movements compared to a whopping 94% of left handers!

So if you’re kicking your partner in bed while you sleep, now you know why!

5. Left Handed People Use the Right Side of the Brain the Most

The brain is cross-wired, meaning that the right side controls the left side of the body and vice versa. Hence the well-known saying ‘only left handed people are in their right minds’.

The right-hand side of the brain is thought to coordinate the left side of the body and control tasks to do with the arts and creativity.

Take a look at our diagram below and see if you can relate!

However, a recent 2018 study ‘Unilateral, 3D Arm Movement Kinematics Are Encoded in Ipsilateral Human Cortex‘ at Washington University has suggested that tasks may be shared more equally than previously thought.

It’s important to note that the researchers have stated that since this study only involved 4 patients, there is a lot more research to be carried out before we can truly understand the relationship between brain and body!

6. More Likely To Be Alcoholics

A 1973 paper by psychologist Paul Bakan ‘Left-handedness and Alcoholism‘ noted that a higher than expected number of patients in an alcoholism ward were left handed.

However, in 2011, a study by Dr. Kevin Denny ‘Handedness and drinking behavior‘ examined 25,000 people from 12 different countries. It found that being a lefty did not result in excessive drinking later in life.

What it did suggest was that left handed people are more prone to drink at moderate levels than a right handed person.

So the common idea that lefties are more likely to be alcoholics might be a bit of a stretch!

7. Are Left Handed People Smarter?

This one varies depending on how dated your source is!

One 2007 study ‘Effect of Handedness on Intelligence Level of Students‘ shows that lefties are more likely to have higher IQs, however another 2010 study ‘The relationship between hand preference, hand performance, and general cognitive ability‘ suggests the exact opposite!

So which is it?

To settle the debate, two researchers from the University of Athens in Greece compiled the data from several individual studies in order to collate data from a much larger sample size.

The results of this research showed that right handed people are smarter on average – but only marginally so. Assuming that the average left hander had an IQ of 100, the average right-hander would be at 101.5.

So, the current belief is that the difference in intelligence between lefties and righties is so small as to be negligible! You can read the 2018 study here.

An interesting left handed statistic is that Mensa claims that 20% of its members are lefties. A much higher number than you’d expect!

8. Tend to Reach Puberty 4 to 5 Months Later Than Right Handers

This is another fact about left handed people widely quoted over the internet. However, I can find no studies to back this idea up, so take it with a pinch of salt!

If you are aware of a solid reference, send us an email and we’ll add it!

9. More Likely to Suffer Language Problems

A 2009 study from Finland ‘Mixed-Handedness Is Linked to Mental Health Problems in Children and Adolescents‘ examined problems with language in children.

The results showed that mixed-handed children had a greater likelihood of experiencing language and scholastic issues which persist into adulthood.

Likewise, a 1993 study from Norway ‘Dyslexia, Handedness, and Immune Disorders‘ which looked at 734 children, found a significant association between dyslexia and left-handedness.

10. More Likely to Be Male

According to the 2008 study ‘Sex differences in left-handedness: a meta-analysis of 144 studies‘, 23% more men are left handers.

This study compiled the data from 144 individual studies including a sample size of almost 2 million participants. So, it is generally accepted to be statistically relevant.

11. Better at Multi-Tasking

Data collected in 2008 by the Illinois Research Consortium showed that left and right-handed people deal with task and memory performance in different ways.

Experiments showed that when given two tasks to complete simultaneously, southpaw participants performed best.

This is because right handed people tend to solve problems by breaking them down into parts and analyzing each piece one at a time.

Whereas left handed people tend to look at the problem as a whole and use pattern-matching to try and solve it.

12. Live on Average 9 Years Less than Righties

You can breathe a sigh of relief, as this left handed statistic was later disproved. Although it is still widespread on the internet!!

A flawed 1980s study that looked at 1000 deceased people from California showed that the average age that right-handed subjects died was 75, whereas for lefties it was just 66.

The problem here is that the study assumes that the number of left handed people remained static over time. Many people born in the early 1900s were forced to write right-handed, and so would not have identified as being left handed at death.

As a result, the findings from this study have been largely discredited.

However, there has been some evidence to suggest that left handers are more likely to have minor accidents than their right handed counterparts. So we’re not quite out of the woods!

13. 39% More Likely to be Homosexual

The 2000 study ‘Sexual orientation and handedness in men and women: a meta-analysis‘ compared the rates of non-right-handedness in 6,987 homosexuals and 16,423 heterosexual participants.

It was found that homosexual participants had 39% greater odds of being non-right-handed.

In keeping with the sexuality theme, the 2013 study ‘Biological markers of asexuality: Handedness, birth order, and finger length ratios in self-identified asexual men and women‘ found that asexual participants were roughly 2.5 times more likely to be left-handed!

14. Recover From Strokes Faster

For the majority of the population, the left side of the brain is largely in control of language function. This is the reason why most strokes or brain injuries that occur on the left side will have an adverse effect on language.

95% of right-handed people have left-brain dominance when it comes to language control, whereas this drops to 70% for lefties.

This means that after a stroke, lefties are more likely to be faster to recover language ability.

Definitely one of the facts about left handed people that is a major plus!

Left Handed Facts & Trivia

1. Left Handed Pens Are a Thing! Who Knew!?

They really do exist – click here to check them out.

Various designs are available, but the pens linked above have a special hooked tip to allow lefties to more easily see what they are writing.

The design also keeps the fingers further away from the tip. This, when coupled with quick-drying ink means there is less chance of smudging.

Personally, I’ve never tried one, but let me know what you think if you have!

2. Have an Advantage In Certain Sports

Lefties make especially good baseball players, tennis players, swimmers, boxers, and fencers. At the time of writing, almost 40% of the current top tennis players are lefties.

Essentially we excel at non-team-based sports where players face off one-on-one. This is because right-handed players are used to mainly playing against other right handed players and not lefties.

Did you know that tennis champion Rafael Nadal is actually right handed? He learned to play lefty to give himself an advantage. It certainly seems to have worked out nicely for the Spaniard!!

3. International Left Handed Day is August 13th

Every year on August 13th we southpaws get our very own day to celebrate our uniqueness. The day is also supposed to help promote awareness of the problems that we experience living in world designed for right-handers.

Find out more about international left handers day.

4. Draw Figures Facing the Right

According to the 2014 study ‘What affects facing direction in human facial profile drawing? A meta-analytic inquiry‘, left handed people mainly draw characters facing to the right. While right handed people were found to draw them facing to the left.

Try it yourself!

5. Are Left Handed People More Creative?

It’s true! The 2007 study ‘Creativity and Psychopathology: Higher Rates of Psychosis Proneness and Nonright-Handedness Among Creative Artists Compared to Same Age and Gender Peers‘ (catchy, huh?) found that creatives such as painters and musicians were more likely to be left handers.

Another study from 1977 ‘Left-handedness among architects: partial replication and some new data‘ showed that a higher than expected number of architects identified as being a lefty.

6. Of the 9 Most Recent U.S Presidents, 5 Were Left Handed

A much higher than-expected number of recent U.S presidents were southpaws:

Joe Biden (R), Donald Trump (R), Barack Obama (L), George W. Bush (R), Bill Clinton (L), George H. W. Bush (L), Ronald Reagan (L), Jimmy Carter (R), Gerald Ford (L).

Ronald Reagan was a left hander but was forced to write right handed. Gerald Ford was left-handed, but switched back and forth.

7. Likely to Earn More Than Right-Handed People?

Depends on who you ask!

In the 2006 paper ‘Handedness and Earnings‘ it was found that left-handed college graduates went on to earn 15% more than right-handed college graduates.

However in the 2014 paper ‘The Wages of Sinistrality: Handedness, Brain Structure, and Human Capital Accumulation‘, a Harvard professor found that lefties on average earn 10% less than right-handed people.

I guess what you should take away from this is that you should definitely finish college if it’s an option!

8. Typing Advantages

On a QWERTY keyboard, there are over 3000 English words typed solely with the left hand. Whilst only around 300 are typed with the right hand alone.

Bizarre Left Handed Statistics

Let’s switch things up and look at some of the more crazy facts about left handed people!

1. Some People Are Scared of Left-Handedness!

Sinistrophobia is defined as the fear of things on the left side or left-handed people. Read our article about Sinistrophobia to find out more about this bizarre fear.

Reading these left handed facts must really freak sufferers out!

2. Adjust to Seeing Underwater Quicker

Neurologists report that we left handers do indeed seem to adjust to underwater vision more readily than our right handed friends.

3. Less Able to Roll Their Tongue

In a 1998 study ‘Left-handedness and tongue-rolling ability‘ (yes, someone actually did this!), it was found that significantly fewer lefties could roll their tongues than righties (62.8% and 74.8% respectively).

4. Nails Grow Faster on Your Dominant Hand

They also grow faster on your larger fingers! Probably not the most exciting left handed statistic…

More Left Handed People Facts!

Are you still thirsty for more left handed people facts? Well, here are a few links that I believe you may also like to check out.

• How Much Of A Lefty Are You? Take our 60 second test and find out!
• How Many People Are Left Handed? (More Than You Think!)
• 100+ Famous Left Handed People That Changed The World
• When Is National Left Handers Day?
• 14 Inspirational Left Handed Quotes
• Gift Ideas That Left Handed People Will LOVE

The post 25 Amazing Facts About Left Handed People appeared first on LeftyFretz.

Are left handed people evil? Is being left handed a sin? In the past, people certainly seemed to think so. But worryingly, these are questions that people still ask to this day!

In this article you’ll learn why lefties were associated with Satan and witchcraft, how the Bible condemned us all to hell, why the left hand is considered unclean, and why lefties are still discriminated against around the world!

Table Of Contents

1. Are Left Handed People Evil?
2. Left Handedness And The Devil
3. Left Handed Super Powers
4. Left Handed Religious Beliefs
5. Why Is The Left Hand Considered Unclean?
6. Left Handed Bias In Language
7. Is Being Left Handed STILL An Issue?
8. Conclusions

Are Left Handed People Evil?

Of course not! The false notion of left handed people being evil arose as a result of the prevalence of right handed people, in addition to various religious and cultural beliefs associating left handedness with negative connotations and traits.

Throughout history, being left handed has been associated with uncleanliness, bad luck, deviancy, mental deficiency, and even devil worshipping!

In Albania, being left handed was at one point even considered as being an illegal act.

It seems that a majority of the world really did think the worst of us!

At the end of high school in the school yearbook, my classmates voted me as being the person “most likely to be secretly evil” – true story! It probably had nothing to do with my left handedness, but you know…maybe it did!

However you’ll be relieved to find that nowadays, being left handed is often seen as a sign of increased creativity, and in some cases, intelligence in many countries.

Let’s take a closer look at why this historic bias towards left-handedness arose in the first place however.

Left Handedness And The Devil

The Devil has been associated with the left side throughout history, with Lucifer himself being most often depicted as a lefty in historic imagery.

During the 17th century it was believed that Satan would baptise his followers with the left hand. And in France, it was thought that witches would greet the Devil with their left hand.

Indeed, throughout the Salem witch trials in the 17th century, being left handed was considered evidence of being a practitioner of the dark arts.

Witch hunters would also trial accused people through a public examination of their bodies. Evidence of being a witch would be something as simple as finding a mole or blemish on the left side of the body.

Black magic is also referred to as the “left hand path”, and is closely linked to devil worship.

Check out my other article for more left handed superstitions that are associated with evil.

Left Handed Super Powers

It should be noted that being left handed was not always negatively portrayed.

The Celts, who can be traced as far back as 750 BC, worshipped the left side. These ancient tribes associated the left with femininity and the source of life.

Similarly, the Incas believed that lefties possessed magic and healing abilities.

Is Being Left Handed A Sin?

It is generally thought that the idea that left handed people are evil started to manifest itself as Christianity began to spread. Some devout followers actually came to believe that being left handed is a sin.

What Does The Bible Say About Left Handed People?

For example, the Gospel of Matthew says that on the Day of Judgment, God would send those on the right to Heaven and condemn those on the left to Hell.

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:41

Another passage from the Bible about left-handedness…

The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left

Ecclesiastes 10:2

In total the Bible makes 100 references alluding to the right hand, all of them positive. Whereas only 25 references to the left hand are made, and no surprises, every single one is negative!

There was even a time where the Catholic Church declared that all left handed people were Devil worshippers! Lefties would be condemned, and occasionally executed during the times of the Spanish Inquisition.

Why Is The Left Hand Considered Unclean?

Similar negative associations are also present in other religions.

For example in certain beliefs (e.g. among Muslims), followers would use their right hand for eating, and their left for personal hygiene. Although this was sensibly done in the past for reasons of sanitation and cleanliness, the left hand came to become known as the ‘unclean hand’ through these practices.

This is also where the English term “cack-handed” (which is associated with left handedness) comes from. My English roommate in college regularly referred to me as being cack-handed, but I wasn’t aware that ‘cack’ was slang for excrement!

Check out the quick video below which explains why Arabs don’t use their left hand.

In 19th century Africa, the punishment for eating with the left hand was fairly severe. If a child ate with the wrong hand, Zulu tribes would place their arm in boiling water, scalding the hand so that the same mistake wouldn’t be repeated. Eeek!

Left Handed Bias In Language

The English word sinister (meaning evil) was introduced around the 14th century, and comes from the same Latin word, which is translated as “on the left hand side”.

Today, the irrational fear of left handed people is known as Sinistrophobia.

Conversely, the Latin word for “on the right side” – dexter – has largely positive connotations. For example, the English word dextrous means to be good with the hands. Or an ambidextrous person is someone who is able to use both hands equally well.

In German the word for left is “linkisch”, which also means “awkward”.

The Italians say “mancino”, which can also mean “deceitful”.

The French word for left is “gauche”, which in English is translated as “unsophisticated” or “socially awkward”.

You can even head over to the Merriam Webster dictionary where you’ll find that synonyms for ‘left handed’ include, awkward, clumsy, graceless, and ham-handed.

Is Being Left Handed STILL An Issue?

Due to these negative associations with left-handedness, it is still common in certain countries even today that lefties are looked down upon.

Even as recently as the 20th century, certain psychologists would see being left handed as a sign of deviancy, which was necessary to be ‘fixed’ through behavioural treatments.

It was fairly common until even the late 20th century for children to be forced to write with their right hand. Some teachers would go so far as to tie a lefty pupil’s left hand behind their back so that it could not be used.

In Taiwan, a 2007 high school study found that almost 60% of the children examined had been forced to switch from writing left handed to right handed.

Similarly, in Japan, a 1983 study showed that only 0.7% of high school students examined used their left hand for writing. Up until the early 20th century, discovering that your partner was left handed was actually considered grounds for divorce in Japan!

Wondering which countries have the most (or least!) left handers? Check out my article – How Many People Are Left Handed?

One of my work colleagues who was born in England in the 1990s revealed to me that they were actually a natural left hander, but had been forced to write with their right hand. At the time I had no idea that these practices were still in place so close to home.

So this negative association with left-handedness is still very much alive today. But as you can see in the chart below, the stigma associated with left handedness has massively decreased over the past century.

You can clearly see that the prevalence of left handedness has increased as out-dated beliefs have been disproved or forgotten about. It will be interesting to see where this number settles eventually.

Are Lefties Evil?

So are left handed people evil? Well…no! But even if we aren’t being accused of worshipping the Devil, the little digs against lefties are still ever present.

For example, did you know that skateboarders who push with their right foot use regular stance. Whereas if you push with your left foot it is called goofy stance!?

A few years ago I collated some mean tweets aimed at left handed guitarists. Some of them are just pure vitriol!

In modern day society, being left handed is fairly meaningless. Left handed people are just…people. We’re not evil, we’re not clumsy, we’re not bad luck, we’re certainly not on a one way ticket straight to Hell.

Although in a world largely designed for right handed people, it does at least sometimes make life a little more challenging.

At least we are no longer at the point where we’re burned alive at the stake. Phew!

We’ve even got our own day now – International Left Handers Day!

Left Handed Or Right Handed Test

Did you know that no one is 100% left handed or right handed? We’re all a mix of both! Find out exactly how left or right handed you are by taking our 60 Second Left Handed Test.

Other Articles You’ll Love

• 25 Amazing Facts About Left Handed People
• 15 Incredible Left Handed Statistics
• How Many People Are Left Handed?
• Famous Left Handed People

The post Are Left Handed People Evil? 5 Reasons Why We’re Hated! appeared first on LeftyFretz.