Founding Member of Train, Charlie Colin, Dies Following Fall

Share This:

Charlie Colin is at front left. Pat Monahan is seated. (Photo via Train’s Facebook page)

Charlie Colin, the founding bassist for the pop rock band, Train, has died. The musician’s body was discovered today (May 22, 2024) in the apartment of a friend for whom he was house-sitting in Brussels, Belgium, where he lived. TMZ reported that Colin, 58, had slipped in the shower. In a post on the band’s Facebook page, Train frontman Pat Monahan called his longtime bandmate “THE sweetest guy.”

In its reporting, TMZ indicated that Colin’s mother confirmed his death to them, noting that it was unclear when her son had fallen. His friends had been away for five days and discovered his body.

Train was formed in San Francisco in 1993, by Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford, Scott Underwood and Colin. Their climb to the top began in 1994, as the original 5-member band tenaciously built a loyal hometown following, leading up to their debut self-titled album released by Columbia in 1998. The tumbling wordplay of “Meet Virginia” gave them their first unlikely radio hit, and 2001’s Drops of Jupiter broke them to multi-platinum status thanks to the double-GRAMMY-winning title song that spent 10 months in the Top 40, has been certified RIAA 7x platinum, and earned the 2001 GRAMMY Award for Best Rock Song.

Their third album, 2003’s My Private Nation, reached #6. Colin left the band due to substance abuse issues.The band continued with several years in between albums, ultimately hitting their commercial peak with 2009’s Save Me, San Francisco. That album, long after Colin’s departure, included the band’s biggest hit, “Hey, Soul Sister.”

Train has sold more than 10 million albums with multiple Platinum certifications and three GRAMMY Awards.

In his statement, Monahan wrote, “When I met Charlie Colin, I fell in love with him. 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.”

Related: Musician Deaths of 2024