Armless and One-Armed Musicians

I say “armless musicians,” and you say “impossible!” But when you gaze upon these pictures, you will realize that not only is it possible to play a musical instrument WITHOUT ARMS, but indeed it is something of a vaunted show-business tradition! This was the first wing to be built in my Wonderful World of Weirdness museum. I’m always looking for more photos to add to this inspiring collection, so if you have any, let me know!

Ray Myers

SPECIAL ARMLESS MUSICIAN HONOREE, RAY MYERS: Without question the most famous armless musician was a man named Ray Myers, who hailed from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but spent decades touring the South as a country musician and inspirational speaker. He printed at least four booklets (the first one appears to be from the 1940s, and the last one from the 1960s) but beyond that we don’t know much about him. Here we’ve reproduced the entire first booklet and highlights from the others. Behold the wonder that is Ray Myers, armless musician!