Who Was Charlie Colin? All About the Founding Member of Train and His Cause of Death

Charlie Colin was an American musician best known as the bassist for the rock band Train. He also played guitar and provided background vocals for various bands after leaving Train in 2003.

Early Life

Colin was born in Virginia and began playing guitar at the age of eight. His family later moved to Newport Beach, California, where he attended Newport Harbor High School.

Surfing, playing water polo, and the guitar were his main interests during this time.

Education

Colin initially attended the University of Southern California before transferring to the Berklee College of Music in Boston to focus on his musical talents.

At Berklee, he immersed himself in music, learning from seniors and discovering new artists, including Pat Metheny.

Early Career and Apostles

After a stint in Singapore writing and playing jingles, Colin, Jimmy Stafford, and Rob Hotchkiss formed the group Apostles in San Francisco. The band recorded an album in 1992, but disbanded when their label folded.

Success with Train

In 1993, Hotchkiss and Colin, along with Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford, and Scott Underwood, formed Train. The band achieved success with hits like “Meet Virginia” and “Drops of Jupiter,” the latter reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their album “Drops of Jupiter” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Train toured nationally, opening for acts such as Hootie & the Blowfish, Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, and Barenaked Ladies. Colin was fired from the band in 2003 due to substance abuse issues.

 Later Career

Colin continued his music career with various projects. In 2002, he formed Food Pill with Scott Underwood. He also joined Days of the New in 2014, and in 2015, he co-founded Painbirds with Rob Hotchkiss and Tom Luce.

In 2017, Colin formed The Side Deal with Stan Frazier and the Owen brothers. He contributed to the Featherborn project in 2019.

Personal Life and Philanthropy

Colin was an art collector, homeless-artist advocate, and philanthropist. He was also involved in teaching music and serving as the musical director for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

 Cause of Death

On May 22, 2024, it was revealed that Charlie Colin had died at the age of 58. He slipped and fell in a shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. His body was discovered after his friends returned from a five-day trip.