The music world is grieving the loss of Charlie Colin, former bassist for the band Train, who passed away at the age of 58 following a sudden accident overseas, his mother confirmed to TMZ.
Colin’s mother revealed that he died after slipping in the shower while house-sitting for friends in Brussels, Belgium. His body was discovered about five days later when his friends returned from their trip.
Authorities have yet to disclose the official cause of death.
Colin, who left Train in 2003, had relocated to Brussels to teach music at a conservatory. Recently, he had been working in a music studio and composing music for a film, according to his mother.
He began playing music at the age of 8. In an interview with his alma mater, the Berklee School of Music, he explained that frequent moves prevented him from staying on sports teams, “but I could always take my guitar with me.”
Before co-founding Train, Colin collaborated with future Train lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford and rhythm guitarist Rob Hotchkiss to form the band Apostles in 1992. However, the record label they had signed with collapsed, leading Colin to move to Singapore with friends to write and play jingles.
Things changed in 1993 when Hotchkiss met future Train lead singer Pat Monahan. Recognizing their potential, he brought in Colin and Stafford, along with original drummer Scott Underwood, and they released hits like “Meet Virginia” and “Hey, Soul Sister.”
Their 2001 song “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” earned the band two Grammy Awards in 2002.
Colin left the band in 2003 due to substance abuse issues. “Charlie is one incredible bass player,” Monahan told NBC News in 2017, “but he was in a lot of pain, and the way he was dealing with it was very painful for everyone else around him.”
RIP.
