Charlie Colin, the bassist and founding member of the U.S. pop-rock band Train, famous for hits like “Drops of Jupiter” and “Meet Virginia,” has died at 58.
His sister, Carolyn Stephens, confirmed his passing to the Associated Press on Wednesday. Colin tragically slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium, as reported by TMZ.
Colin grew up in California and Virginia and played in a group called Apostles with guitarist Jimmy Stafford and singer Rob Hotchkiss. Although the band eventually disbanded, Colin moved to Singapore for a year to write jingles. In the early ’90s, Colin, Stafford, and Hotchkiss moved to San Francisco and formed Train with singer Pat Monahan. Colin later recruited drummer Scott Underwood, completing the group, as he shared in an interview with Berklee’s alumni magazine.
Colin significantly contributed to Train’s early success, playing on their first three albums: the self-titled debut in 1998, “Drops of Jupiter” in 2001, and “My Private Nation” in 2003.
Both albums peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, cementing the band’s rise in the music industry. “Meet Virginia,” a track from Train’s debut album, broke into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album, “Drops of Jupiter,” truly solidified their success.
The title track, “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” achieved eight-times platinum status and featured musicians like the Rolling Stones’ session pianist Chuck Leavell and Leonard Cohen’s string orchestrator Paul Buckmaster. Colin left Train in 2003 due to substance abuse issues. Monahan explained to NBC San Diego, “Charlie is one incredible bass player, but he was in a lot of pain, and the way he was dealing with it was very painful for everyone else around him.”
In 2015, Colin reunited with Hotchkiss to start a new band called Painbirds, which also included Tom Luce. Then, in 2017, Colin formed another band, the Side Deal, with Sugar Ray’s Stan Frazier and the PawnShop Kings’ Joel and Scott Owen. These ventures highlighted Colin’s ongoing passion for music and collaboration.
Following his death, a tribute to Colin appeared on Train’s official Facebook and X social media pages. The post read, “When I met Charlie Colin, front left, 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 and 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.”
Before his death, Colin documented his time in Brussels last March on Instagram, calling it “Officially my favorite city”. His sudden passing left a void in the music community, but his legacy endures through his contributions to Train and musical endeavors, showcasing his versatile talent and love for music.