Jesse James, born on 19 April 1969, in Long Beach, California, is a figure whose life story reads like an American epic, marked by a relentless pursuit of personal and professional transformation. Fro
m his early days as a talented football player receiving scholarship offers from every Division I school in the country, to his tumultuous journey through personal trials and triumphs, James has remained an undeniably complex and peculiar character in the public eye.
His football prowess was evident early on, with a 4.65 forty-yard dash and a 4.7 backward sprint times, making him a formidable presence on the field. However, his non-disciplined lifestyle out of the jersey and a series of unwise life choices led him away from a potential career in professional football.
His early years were marked by a tough upbringing and a propensity for trouble. James recounted his experiences with stealing cars, specifically IROC Camaros, which he learned to hotwire and steal in mere seconds. This rebellious phase of his youth culminated in an arrest when he was caught with one half-stripped Camaro in his garage and another, wheel-less and covered with a tarp, in his driveway. As he rounded the corner to his home, blaring music and feeling invincible, he was met with the sight of police cars and his father waiting for him. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he knew that this phase of his life had effectively come to an end.
The arresting officer, whose son Jesse had played football with since their Pop Warner days, suggested to James’ father that they could simply claim the cars were bought at a swap meet to avoid legal consequences. However, his old man refused, insisting that his son face the repercussions of his actions, as that was the only way for him to move forward in life.
This arrest was a significant turning point for James, least of all due to the inconvenience of having to deal with legal stuff. He was already known for his athletic abilities and had a promising future in football, however, the arrest and subsequent period behind bars meant that he missed important visits from college scouts, effectively ending his chances of playing college football, and then potentially going pro.
He also delved into his alpha-male time as a bodyguard providing security for bands – a job that initially seemed thrilling and aligned with his tough persona. His role extended beyond mere protection, as he was responsible for tour management, accounting, and ensuring that promoters weren’t taking financial advantage of the bands.
Throughout that period he also worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers during a tour on which Nirvana and Pearl Jam served as opening acts, a highlight in his security career, placing him at the center of certain important moments in music history. However, the job’s novelty began to wear off as he found himself dealing with difficult personalities, such as the members of The Black Crowes, which he likened to glorified babysitting.
The constant travel and the responsibility of managing the bands’ well-being started to take a toll on him. He described the job as fun for about a year before it became more of a burden. The turning point came after an incident in which he was injured during a stage dive while working with White Zombie. This injury, coupled with the overall stress of the job, led him to reconsider everything he’d done to that point. Fortuitously, James also used his time on the road to conduct research and development for his future endeavors, visited motorcycle shops and shows worldwide, gathering insights that would later influence the work he’d end up famous for.
James’ life took a significant turn when he entered the world of custom motorcycle building in 1992, whereby he founded West Coast Choppers, starting in his mother’s garage and eventually growing into a global phenomenon. His unique designs and superior craftsmanship quickly garnered a celebrity clientele and a cult following, with the business’ growth being exponential, but also not without its fair share of troubles.
In 2007 his company was fined $271,250 by the California Air Resources Board for building and selling motorcycles that were not compliant with the state’s stringent emissions standards – the bikes in question were produced between 1997 and 2006, and were found to be emitting hydrocarbons at levels exceeding the legal limits by up to 11 times.
James responded to the fine by acknowledging his oversight, but expressing his belief that the penalty was excessive, suggesting that the fine was intended to make an example of him due to his high profile and celebrity status at the time. Despite this setback, he continued his work in the custom motorcycle industry, albeit with a renewed awareness of the importance of regulatory compliance.
View this post on Instagram
Regardless of his mounting successes, James maintained a set of personal standards that often clashed with potential clients’ requests. This was outlined in an interaction he had with acting superstar Sylvester Stallone, who had approached him with a request for a custom motorcycle. The actor had recently acquired a new yellow Ferrari and a yellow Corvette, and wanted a similarly themed motorcycle to add to his collection. Jesse, however, has a personal rule against painting bikes yellow, as he associates the color with cowardice, referring to it as ‘the universal color for chicken.’ When Stallone’s manager called to place the order, James declined, standing firm on his policy, despite the high-profile nature of the client and massive potential earnings.
A similar story, albeit with a happier ending, involves Fred Durst, the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit. Durst had approached him with the intention of commissioning a custom motorcycle from West Coast Choppers, but he also wanted to bypass the usual waitlist and receive his bike sooner than the standard process allowed. Jesse, who values fairness and a first-come, first-served approach to his business, refused Fred’s request, not appreciating the star’s attempt to jump the queue, and unwilling to compromise his business ethics, even for a celebrity. This led him to ultimately hang up on Durst, signaling a clear rejection of the request. Despite this initial refusal, the two got to talking in more detail about the issue, and ended up becoming good friends, and,yes, Fred did get his bike in the end.
That said, Jesse’s absolute boundaries in business were made evident even before he became famous, as outlined by a particular example. Before even thinking of starting his own business, back in his early days James spent a lot of time crafting custom fenders, which he would make by hand in his garage after his day job. His high-effort work caught the attention of Custom Chrome, the a company becoming seriously interested in his designs.
They sat down to talk business, at which point James insisted that each fender should bear his name, “Jesse James West Coast Choppers,” on a brass tag. Custom Chrome initially frowned at this request, questioning why they should brand the fenders with his name when he wasn’t nearly as well-known as other figures in the industry at the time. James confidently replied that maybe one day he would be that big, but regardless, that was his condition for doing business.
Custom Chrome miraculously agreed to his terms, and he received a significant purchase order from them. However, he later discovered that to cut costs, they’d attempted to replicate his fenders in Asia, as his friends from Singapore and China informed him that his handiwork had been sent there for copying. Funnily enough, their attempts failed due to the complexity and quality of his work, which could not easily be duplicated.
Finally, in spite of his massive fame and wealth, Jesse is a craftsman at heart first and foremost, so sitting on his hands and enjoying the cash influx simply doesn’t cut it for him. He therefore wandered on into yet another venture, founding Jesse James Firearms Unlimited to extend his craftsmanship from motorcycles to high-end custom guns. His notable work includes the Cisco 1911 series “Lady Liberty” handguns, crafted using actual handrails from the Statue of Liberty, which sold for $85,000 each. His clientele includes celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and political figures such as former Texas Governor Rick Perry, ensuring the permanence of his legacy as a metalworking whizz.
