Charlie Colin, per New York Post, has passed away. According to the musician's brother, Colin died after he slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. He was reportedly found when his friends returned from their trip.
The bassist and one of the founding members of Train, Colin was an artist with a unique vision. As he told SFGate, "Remember, Van Gogh was homeless. Gauguin was homeless. A lot of artists were, who wore out their favors with their friends and family and got the boot." This was in response to looking at a series of paintings by transient artists. It showcased Colin's empathy and ability to see beyond what others called "flaws."
Colin started as a member of the Apostles, a group that managed to release one album before their label folded. That was when Train was born. With Colin as one of its prominent members, Train would go on to find mainstream success. Their iconic first album, Train, sat high on the Billboard Hot 100 list. It would go on to sell over 1,000,000 copies, hitting Platinum status.
Charlie Colin's Lasting Legacy With Train And Beyond
Fans of Train and Colin grieved the sudden loss.
"D—, that's sad. Train had some great hits. RIP Charlie Colin," said one X user. "Regards to his family."
Sending my condolences to his friends and family very sad
— Honey Badger (@o0oAJLo0o) May 22, 2024
Regrettably, later in life, Colin would meet many personal struggles. As his bandmate, Pat Monahan, once said, "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." Still, Colin persisted, eventually working alongside Scott Underwood in Food Pill. He'd also be a founder of Painbirds and The Side Deal, two groups heavily influenced by Colin's singularly bold stylings.
"I want to be able to show the artist as a complete person. Some of their works are so compelling in the disturbing feeling they give of homelessness, but there are also blissful, hopeful ones. Some are quite aggressive and angry in addressing their particular circumstance — people being shot or eating out of garbage cans — then sometimes they'll be in a purely artistic phase painting their dreams and ideas. It seems to me that much of the art by homeless people has nothing to do with being homeless whatsoever. It's about being alive."
