Jess Margera

Jess Margera
Margera performing with CKY in 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Jesse Phillip Margera
Born	(1978-08-28) August 28, 1978 (age 38)
Origin	West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
Genres	Heavy metal alternative metal hard rock alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1993–present
Associated acts	CKY Foreign Objects Gnarkill Viking Skull The Company Band Bam Margera
Notable instruments
Ludwig Drums

Jesse Phillip "Jess" Margera (born August 28, 1978) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of West Chester-based heavy metal band CKY, which he co-founded in 1998. Prior to CKY, Margera performed in the band Foreign Objects with former CKY vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller, and he has since worked with Gnarkill, Viking Skull, The Company Band and Fuckface Unstoppable.

Jess Margera is the older brother of professional skateboarder and filmmaker Bam Margera, alongside whom he is considered a founding member of the CKY Crew, which worked on the video series of the same name. He chose to play the drums as he had two uncles who played the instrument, one of whom later worked as a drum technician on a CKY tour. His "biggest influence" was Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, but as a young musician he also took an interest in jazz drummers such as Elvin Jones.

Margera first played in a band in 1991 or 1992. One of his first bands was Soalroach, which featured brother Bam and friend Ryan Dunn. He later formed Foreign Objects with future CKY vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller, whom he originally met at high school. The band released its debut extended play (EP) The Undiscovered Numbers & Colors in 1995. Along with bassist Ryan Bruni, the duo later performed under the name Oil, before meeting guitarist Chad I Ginsburg (who was then working as an audio engineer) and changing the name of the band to CKY. Speaking about the formation of the band, Margera recalled in a 2003 interview that the main reason he joined CKY was Miller's guitar playing ability, particularly his ability to write "complicated [guitar] riffs that are catchy".