Charlie Colin’s former band members in the hit band Train remembered their fallen friend after his death at age 58 was reported on Wednesday.
In a post shared to the group’s Instagram page, the members called Colin ‘the sweetest guy’ and alluded to the bassist’s departure from the band in 2003, which was reportedly precipitated by his substance issues.
The post featured a black-and-white photo of an early lineup of the band, which at the time included lead singer Pat Monahan, lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford, rhythm guitarist Rob Hotchkiss and drummer Scott Underwood, as well as Colin.
Colin’s mother confirmed the tragic news of his death, saying the Drops Of Jupiter musician ‘slipped and fell in the shower,’ according to TMZ.
The caption to the tribute from the surviving members of Train was written in the first person, though it is unclear if it was penned by the group’s frontman Monahan or if another member of the group spoke for everyone.
Train bassist Charlie Colin was remembered by his bandmates in a sweet post featuring a photo of an early lineup of the band after the bassist (L) died at 58. It was shared shortly after the news broke on Wednesday
Colin, a founding member of Train, reportedly died in tragic accident after he ‘slipped and fell in the shower,’ his mother told TMZ; seen in 2013 in Beverly Hills
‘When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him. He was THE sweetest guy and what a handsome chap,’ they wrote. ‘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,’ they continued. ‘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,’ the post concluded.
The tragic incident is said to have taken place while Colin — a former bassist for the band — was house-sitting for a friend in Belgium. It is currently unclear exactly when he passed away.
His mother said Charlie was not found until his friends came back from their trip approximately five days ago.
Colin was reportedly forced to leave the successful group in 2003 due to substance abuse issues.
Lead singer Pat Monahan said at the time: ‘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.’
Monahan is then said to have called a band meeting to chose between himself or Colin.
‘They weren’t happy about the choice. They were very clear that I put them in a very tough position,’ he said at the time.
The ultimatum came after Colin was ‘a mess’ during a live performance in Oregon, according to Monahan.
Speaking of his departure, Colin said during an appearance on Delphine’s Circle last year: ‘There was a lot of things that led to me leaving, but it really escalated into it.
‘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… We just never stopped. It’s kind of one those things where you feel like this is too good to be true. Most bands have a lifespan of a few years.’
Colin’s time performing wasn’t done, however, as he later joined forces with fellow Train musician Rob Hotchkiss to form the band Painbirds.
The artist also formed the band The Side Deal in 2017. The group included Sugar Ray musician Stan Frazier and Joel and Scott Owen from The PawnShop kings.
He also played with illustrious rock bands Puddle of Mudd and Slipknot.
Train, left to right, Jimmy Stafford, Rob Hotchkiss, Scott Underwood, Patrick Monahan, Charlie Colin, in Chicago, Illinois, July 3, 1998
Colin’s final Instagram post was on Mother’s Day, paying tribute to his mom who broke the tragic news about his death
Colin performing with Train on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 2001
Colin with fellow accomplished musician John Mayer several years ago
‘When I left Train, I went out because my ego and my identity were all at stake and I was thinking about that too much,’ he recalled on the Dan Clark podcast in 2022. ‘I went out and played with all these hard rock bands. I went on a tour with Slipknot. You can imagine the guys wearing masks and stuff. These are the hardest rock bands in the world.’
More recently, Colin had relocated to Brussels where he was teaching a music master class at a conservatory as well as making music for a film.
He also appeared to be working as an artist in Belgium.
Colin’s final Instagram post was on Mother’s Day, paying tribute to his mom who broke the tragic news about his death.
Charlie performing in 2003 during a Train In Concert
Colin performing with Train on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 2003
‘My mom… Jackie O/ yet a tad prettier,’ he captioned the throwback snap. ‘A true artist. the loveliest most intelligent woman. happy mother’s day.’
Train formed in San Francisco in 1993 and achieved mainstream success with their self-titled debut album in 1998, producing the hit song Meet Virginia.
However, they reached further success with the hit song Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) from the 2001 album of the same name.
The song won two Grammy Awards in 2002, with the album reaching double platinum status.
Train formed in San Francisco in 1993 and achieved mainstream success with their self-titled debut album in 1998, producing the hit song Meet Virginia .
The musician pictured at the John Varvatos Fashion Show back in 2017
Colin was part of the original lineup consisting of original members Pat Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood.
Train, who are still active today, have sold over 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide.
They embarked on a two-year hiatus beginning in 2006 before returning in 2009 with their fifth studio album Save Me, San Francisco. Their album contained their hit single Hey, Soul Sister.
Since then, Train have released six more studio albums, more recently AM Gold in 2022.
