Charlie Colin, the founding bassist of the pop-rock band Train, has died. He was 58 years old.
According to TMZ, who spoke to Charlie Colin’s mother, the California-raised artist died after slipping and falling in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. His mother said it was unclear when Colin died, as his body was found about five days after he returned from visiting friends. Colin’s sister also confirmed his death to Variety.
His mother also told TMZ that the composer had moved to Brussels to teach music masterclasses at a conservatory, and at the time of his death, he was working on new music for a film. Colin was documenting his time abroad on Instagram, where he announced in a March post that the place is “officially [his] favourite city.”
Train pays tribute to Charlie Colin
On Instagram, Train remembered Charlie Colin for his technical skills and contributions to the group. The band captioned a photo from the train’s early days, writing, “When I met Charlie Collin, front left, I fell in love with him.” “He was the sweetest boy and what a handsome boy. Let’s form a band and that’s the only right thing to do. His unique bass and beautiful guitar playing helped people notice us in SF and beyond. I will always have a warm place in my heart. I always tried to pull him closer to me but he had his own point of view. You’re a legend, Charlie. Go charm the pants off those angels.”
Train rock band
Colin was one of the original members of Train, which initially consisted of Monahan, Scott Underwood, Rob Hotchkiss, and Jimmy Stafford. As the band’s bassist, Colin contributed to the group’s first three albums: 1999’s eponymous debut, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and “My Private Nation.”
He and the band had tremendous success as a quintet with the 2001 hit “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)”, which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocals. He later left the band in 2003 due to substance abuse.
Current members of Train include Pat Monahan, Hector Maldonado, Matt Musty, Jerry Becker and Tayor Locke.
Colin’s life after the Train
In 2015, Colin and Hotchkiss formed a band called the Painbirds with Luce’s Sausalito singer-songwriter Tom Luce, whose ear candy hit “Good Day” made the Top 40 in 2001. He later joined the band The Side Deal, which was formed in 2017, that included Stan Frazier, Joel and Scott Owen. In 2019, Charlie Colin appeared on guitar/bass and vocals during the recording of Featherborn for composer and vocalist Danny Beissell at Nashville’s prestigious Blackbird Studios.