Charlie Colin arrives at the Friendly House Los Angeles Annual Awards Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 26, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California© Getty

Train founding member Charlie Colin, 58, found dead after freak accident in Brussels

He was a bassist for the band known for hits such as "Hey, Soul Sister" and "Drops of Jupiter"

Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
May 22, 2024

Charlie Colin, a founding member of the beloved pop rock band Train, has died in a freak accident aged 58.

Several outlets have reported that the bassist slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium.

Though details surrounding the time of the tragic fall and subsequent death remain scarce, Colin's mom claimed to TMZ that he wasn't found until his friends returned to their home from a trip some days later; his sister also confirmed his death to Variety.

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Originally from Newport Beach California, Colin's mom informed TMZ that he moved to Brussels to teach a music master class at a conservatory, and he was reportedly also finishing making music for a film.

Some years after graduating from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, together with Rob Hotchkiss, Scott Underwood, Jimmy Stafford, and lead singer Pat Monahan, Colin founded Train in San Francisco in 1993. 

Monahan broke his silence on his former bandmates death with a statement on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white photo of the band, and reflecting on when they first met each other.

"When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him. He was THE sweetest guy and what a handsome chap," the singer wrote.

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He recalled: "Let's make a band that's the only reasonable thing to do," adding: "His unique bass playing a beautiful guitar work helped get folks to notice us in SF and beyond."

Charlie Colin during Train In Concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom July 22, 2003 - New York at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, New York© Getty
Colin during an NYC gig with Train in 2003

"I'll always have a warm place for him in my heart. I always tried to pull him closer but he had a vision of his own. You're a legend, Charlie. Go charm the pants off those angels."

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© Getty
The band during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2002

Train's first Top 20 hit was 1998's "Meet Virginia," however it was 2001's "Drops of Jupiter" that became the band's big breakthrough, and they later toured with and opened for similar artists such as Matchbox Twenty, Counting Crows, and Sheryl Crow.

Though Colin left the band in 2003 –– six years before the release of maybe the band's most popular song, "Hey, Soul Sister" –– due to his struggles with substance abuse, he continued to collaborate with bandmate Hotchkiss, and in 2015, they started a band named Painbirds, plus two years later, he also put together The Side Deal.

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