Jacques Lesure was born in Detroit and first began playing guitars at the age of 10 in his church. He was influenced by people like George Benson and Kenny Burrell. His professional career started in gospel music with The Clark Sisters, Commissioned and other prominent Detroit gospel musicians, while studying jazz at the same time. In 1980 he became fully involved in jazz. Lesure is also an author, motivational speaker and radio/podcast host. He has performed with several jazz artists, such as Jimmy Smith and Stanley Turrentine as well as Wynton Marsalis, Eric Reed, Warren Wolf and Gregory Porter.  His performances can be heard in La La Land, the Academy Award winning movie.