Jesse James Biography

Fast Facts

• Played football for the University of California at Riverside
• Previous high-profile relationships include Sandra Bullock and Kat Von D
• Quote: "Welding validates me․ Nothing replaces that feeling․ If I don't do it everyday, I feel like I am cheating myself․ When a weld is perfect, it is an awesome and beautiful thing․"
• Opened West Coast Choppers in 1992 in Paramount, Calif․, after borrowing money from his mother
• Gained widespread recognition following the release of Discovery's "Motorcycle Mania" in 2000, his first of many appearances on reality television
• Relocated his shop to Austin, Texas, where he would also invest in many local businesses including other garages and restaurants
• Given his first bike, a miniature dirtbike, at seven-years-old
• Prior to working in the automotive industry, he worked as a body guard for various rock bands including Slayer and Soundgarden
• Unknowingly set his father's garage ablaze at 15-years-old, an event that would end with the teenager moving out