Rock band Train break silence as founding member Charlie Colin dies in freak accident

Grammy award winners Train arrive backstage at MTV's taping of Icon honoring Aerosmith.

American pop rock band Train have broken their silence after founding member Charlie Colin died at the of 58.

Colin's mother told US outlet TMZ that her son died following a slip in the shower while he was house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. It is currently unclear exactly when he passed away. His mother said Charlie was not found until his friends returned from their trip five days ago.

A post to Train's official Instagram page described Colin as the 'sweetest man' and a 'legend' in the music world.

The tribute read: "When I met Charlie Colin, front left, I fell in love with him. He was THE sweetest guy and what a handsome chap. Let's make a band that's the only reasonable thing to do. His unique bass playing a 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."

"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."

Train, which is fronted by singer Patrick Monahan, formed in San Francisco in the 1990s and the group are known for hit songs including Hey, Soul Sister and Drive By.

Colin, who was one of the original members, played bass for the band but left in 2003 - reportedly due to substance abuse issues.

Lead singer Pat Monahan said of the parting: "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 said he came up with an ultimatum after Colin was a 'mess' during one of their live performances. Monahan said he called a meeting with the band asking them 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."