Following the sudden death of former Train bassist Charlie Colin, the band released a tribute.
“When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him,” a statement shared via social media accounts reads. “He was THE sweetest guy and what a handsome chap. Let’s make a band that’s the only reasonable thing to do. His unique bass playing a beautiful guitar work helped get folks to notice us in SF and beyond. 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❤️🙏🏼 ⭐️.”
News broke on Wednesday, May 22, that Colin had died at age 58 after falling in the shower. The musician was house-sitting for a friend in Belgium when he slipped and fell, his mom confirmed to TMZ. Colin was found five days prior when his friends returned from their trip.
The bassist had relocated to Brussels full time while teaching a music master class hosted at a conservatory, his mom said. Aside from teaching, Colin also had a job at a music studio and was working on music for a film.
Colin was known best for being a founding member of Train alongside fellow band members Pat Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood. He and Hotchkiss met and became friends when they were in the seventh grade but went to different colleges. (Colin studied jazz composition guitar at Berklee School of Music in Boston.)
Once Colin moved to Los Angeles, Hotchkiss asked him to join a band. Train was initially formed in 1996. After alleged substance abuse issues, the bassist left the group in 2003.
Colin reflected on his departure from the band during a 2023 interview, noting there were “a lot” of factors that led to his eventual exit.
“We never took a break. We drove our tour bus into the parking lot of the recording studio for our second and third record. In Philadelphia, we made our one-and-a-half record,” he recalled. “We just never stopped. It’s kind of one of those things where you feel like this is too good to be true. Most bands have a lifespan of a few years.”
After leaving Train, he had stints in other bands, including Slipknot and Puddle of Mudd. He eventually reunited with Hotchkiss in Painbirds, which originated in 2015. Most recently, he collaborated with Stan Frazier and Joel and Scott Owen to create The Side Deal in 2017.
