Charlie Colin (November 22, 1966 –c. May 17, 2024) was an American musician. He was the bassist for the rock bandTrain, of which he was a founding member. He also played guitar and provided background vocals for many other bands after his departure from the group in 2003.

Charlie Colin
Colin in 2017
Background information
Born	(1966-11-22)November 22, 1966 Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Died	c. May 17, 2024(2024-05-17) (aged 57) Brussels,Belgium
Genres	Rock roots rock pop rock alternative rock
Instruments	Bass guitar vocals
Years active	1992–2024
Labels	Columbia Aware Records
Formerly of	Train The Side Deal

Charlie Colin was born inNewport Beach, California on November 22, 1966.^[1][2] He began playing guitar at about eight when he lived inVirginia. Later, his family moved back to Newport Beach, California. AtNewport Harbor High School surfing, playingwater polo, and the guitar became his constant companions.^[3][4]

Colin attendedUniversity of Southern California to explore his artistic gifts; then he transferred halfway to focus primarily on his musical gifts atBerklee College of Music in Boston.^[5] Attending Berklee got Colin fully immersed in music. He started playing with seniors for lessons and so he could learn more.Pat Metheny was quite a discovery, as well as other kinds of music discovered during Berklee.^[6]

Shortly afterwards, Colin got an offer from some friends to go toSingapore to write and playjingles.^[3]

After Singapore, Colin, Jimmy Stafford (Train's future lead guitarist and mandolin player), and Rob Hotchkiss moved to [Los Angeles and started the group Apostles.^[3] The group got a record deal and recorded the album Apostles in 1992,^[7] but when the label folded, the members went their own ways. But they had a hunch that one day they would end up back together.^[8]

Hotchkiss headed to San Francisco and metPat Monahan,Train's future lead singer. The two collaborated on songs in the Bay Area and invited Jimmy Stafford to be the guitarist and Colin as the bassist. Colin brought in Scott Underwood to play drums. Thus formed in 1993^[9] Train became very successful.^[10] Train scored their first Top 20 hit with 1999's "Meet Virginia," although their big breakthrough came with 2001's "Drops of Jupiter", which reached No. 5. The albumDrops of Jupiter reached No. 6. on the Billboard 200.^[9] The group toured nationally, opening concerts forHootie & the Blowfish,^[11]Sheryl Crow,^[3]Counting Crows,^[12] andBarenaked Ladies.^[13]

In 2003, Colin was fired from the band after an emergency meeting due to his substance abuse.^[14]

During the autumn of 2002, after Train finished promoting Drops of Jupiter withMatchbox Twenty, Scott Underwood and Colin moved to a "huge psychedelic mansion" called The Paramour inWest Hollywood to collaborate and record music.^[15] They decided to call the collaboration Food Pill and their first album was calledElixir.^[15]

In 2014, Colin replaced Jesse Vest of Days of the New on bass so the band could continue touring.^[16]

In 2015, Colin and Hotchkiss put together a band called Painbirds, with Sausalito singer-songwriter Tom Luce fromLuce, whose song "Good Day" cracked the Top 40 in 2001.^[17] This band released six songs on an eponymous debut EP.

The Side Deal is an American band fromNewport Beach, California.^[18] The band was formed in 2017 by Colin,Stan Frazier ofSugar Ray, and brothers Joel and Scott Owen of The PawnShop Kings.^[19] The Side Deal performed live with other notable artists such asJeff "Skunk" Baxter ofThe Doobie Brothers,Steely Dan, andAlice Cooper.^[20]

In 2019, Colin appeared on guitar/bass and vocals while recordingFeatherborn for musician and vocalist Danny Beissel at the iconicBlackbird Studio inNashville with veteran engineer John McBride.^[21]

Colin was a longstandingcurator,art collector, homeless-artist advocate, andphilanthropist.^[22][23][24]

Colin later moved toBrussels, Belgium to teach a music master class at a conservatory.^[25] At the time of his death, he also was serving as musical director for theNewport Beach Film Festival, per his social media profiles.^[26]

Colin was found dead in a friend's home in Brussels on May 17, 2024, having fallen in a shower.^[25] He was house-sitting for the friend at the time of his death.^[26][27]

• 2002 |Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |Best Rock Song |Won^[28]
• 2002 |Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) |Won^[29]
• 2002 |Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |Record of the Year | Nominated^[30]
• 2002 |Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |Song of the Year | Nominated^[30]
• 2002 |Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Nominated^[30]

• Williams, LG,The Book of Charlie (PCP Press, 2016)ISBN 154076138X

• Charlie Colin atIMDb  
• Charlie Colin discography atDiscogs
• Colin'sHomeless Art Project
• Grammy Award Winning Artist: Charlie Colin
• Foodpill Website
• The Side Deal Website
• Train Website