Calvin Bowers, whose stage name is CB5, suffers from what he refers to as being an “accidental gangster.”

Bowers, a hip-hop artist and producer, took the name CB5 from his childhood. His mother named each of her five children so that they would share initials, Bowers being the youngest.

Originally from Cleveland, Bowers spent much of his time in the Santa Monica, Calif., area before making his way to Cottonwood, where he currently resides.

While in California, Bowers said he led a life that sometimes fell on the wrong side of the law.

“I made some mistakes, but I paid the price to have another shot,” he said. His advice to those trying to overcome adversity of their own was that “it’s never too late to shoot your shot.”

Before making it in the music industry, Bowers had a long stint in another field. Bowers may not look like the ideal man for the personal protection business — not the over-6-foot, burly mass of meanness often portrayed —but that’s exactly what he did for 11 years, providing his services to such athletes as Shaquille O’Neal and Tiger Woods.

While he was in that profession, he met up with his producer, Frank Leupold, and took a chance on the music scene.

To read the full story, see the Wednesday, March 11, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.