Malachowski attended Berklee College of Music for one year. Leaving college, he started his career in 1974 in Boston replacing Walter Egan in the band Dangerfish. In 1977, he co-founded rock band Reckless, and toured the east coast and recorded one LP on Slippery Records. Malachowski then moved to Lexington, Kentucky to join the Greg Austin Band recording one album, 'Somewhere In Kentucky' in 1987. Governor Martha Layne Collins commissioned Malachowski a Kentucky Colonel in 1996. He left in 1988 to play on the Saddle the Wind Tour with CBS artist Janie Fricke, his first national tour and played Fan Fair also in 1988. In April 1995, after answering an ad in Metroland in Albany, Malachowski became bandleader / guitarist for Shania Twain for 2 years of television performances, promotional shows and Fan Fair. In 1997 he joined Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen touring the states, in 1999 became a member of Savoy Brown, touring and recording Strange Dreams and You Should Have Been There as well as appearing on leader Kim Simmonds’ solo CD Blues Like Midnight. In 2005 he performed with the British Blues Allstars at the San Francisco Blues Festival, members included Long John Baldry, Rod Price, Kim Simmonds and Bob Hall. David left Savoy Brown at the end of 2005, and performed with Ernie Williams, Peter Karp, Jill Stevenson, Mechanical Bull and Phoebe Legere. In 2007, Malachowski was asked to play the Lake George Blues Blast, and assembled a band featuring, organist Pete Levin and harp player Dennis Gruenling along with drummer Harvey Sorgen, guitarist Albert Cummings and singer Jill Stevenson. The following year Malachowski, Levin and Gruenling reunited bringing in bassist Graham Maby, drummer Gary Burke, singer Machan Taylor, violinist Lorenza Ponce and pianist Daniel A Weiss. Revolving members include Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta, Mike Vicseglia, Marshall Crenshaw, Jerry Velez, Stacey Wilde, Greg Haymes and Ira Coleman. In 2009 Malachowski released the Secret Life Of Colonel David in which he produced sang, played guitar, bass, piano, drums and composed 4 of the 5 songs. In 2012 his song “I’m Goin’ Down To Newberg” was used in Indy film Fairhaven. In 2010 David performed in Anthony Rapp’s musical 'Without You' at NYMF, then began concert tours with Rapp and Adam Pascal internationally. Without You was mounted again in 2012 in Boston, Edinburgh, London and Toronto. A cast recording was done in September 2012 at Angel Recording Studios in London. Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp continue to tour. As of 2018, David is a member of Pavlov's Dog, performing lead guitar on the new album "Prodigal Dreamer" and touring with the band on their fall European tour, which opened with two dates at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL on 26 & 27 October 2018.