The first part of Tim Malchak’s music career played like a country song he might have written–filled with stardom, drug addiction and being dropped from his record label.

His story, in true country music tradition, features redemption and a second act as a Christian singer/songwriter. The Savannah resident might still sing about heartache, but he’s doing it within the context of uplifting spiritual songs that offer the promise of eternal glory and happiness beyond the travails of this life.

Rather than performing in arenas as he once did, Malchak plays at churches and various facilities for seniors. Among the latter are Magnolia Manor and The Station Exchange in Richmond Hill.

Malchak, 67, has released 25 albums, 16 of which feature Christian songs; all the songs on his albums are original. His latest album, released in 2024,  is “Freedom Song.” Due to health reasons, he does most of his performances locally and doesn’t travel more than an hour or two from the Savannah area.

“It’s been a really nice experience,” said Malchak, who does some six to seven, 75-minute shows a month. “They’re really eager to hear new things. I’ll play secular songs, but I’ll talk about the stories behind them and how scripturally they work as inspiration. It’s been a real blessing.”

Malchak has done five to six shows at The Station Exchange over the past several years. Life enrichment director Dorothy Conner says Malchak is very knowledgeable about musicians, having worked with a number of professionals in the field, and musical trends. She adds he loves what he’s doing and is engaging with the audience.

“Tim’s a very sincere man and easy to talk to with questions,” Conner says. “He has a very good voice and is accomplished at playing guitar. Tim has a very professional demeanor and is always prepared. They always ask him to come back.”

Finding his voice

Malchak’s musical odyssey started in his home state of New York. Like many people growing up in the ‘60s, he found his musical inspiration from four mop-headed lads from Liverpool.

“I started playing music when I was in the sixth grade," Malchak says. "I had seen the Beatles on Ed Sullivan a few years earlier and I was hooked."

Malchak was also inspired by Jim Croce, whose music he still plays. By 1980, however, he concluded Nashville was where he needed to be, given the style he was and what was happening in country music at the time."

Finally moving to Nashville in 1985, Malchak quickly made his mark while honing his songwriting skills. With several of his records breaking Billboard's Top 40, he began to perform as the opening act for many country stars, including Kenny Rogers and Vince Gill.

In 1986, he signed a deal with an independent record label and, three years later, agreed to a record deal with MCA/Universal Records. Performing with his own band, Malchak played all over the country and took the stage on The Nashville Network and Grand Ole Opry. Malchak also performed at Farm Aid IV in 1993.

A sharp turn

But behind all the success and the opportunity to work with and meet country music stars was a drug addiction that had started when Malchak was 12 years old. By the time he was in Nashville, Malchak recalls, he was a "very high functioning addict."

That addiction resulted in Malchak making some bad decisions and ultimately losing his record deal. Recognizing he needed a change of scenery, Malchak moved to Hilton Head Island in 1992. While he continued to play his music in his new surroundings, Malchak was unable to drop his drug habit and kept on "using." The "song" remained the same until one day in 1995.

Malchak, deciding that enough was enough, made the decision to stop using drugs. "I was sick of feeling the way I was feeling," Malchak says. "Without any programs or any kind of rehab, I stopped a 26-year addiction, which I now know was purely the grace of God."

It was not an easy habit to kick, however. Malchak says he was very sick for several months afterwards and discovered that getting clean would not be easy. Diving head first into the metaphorical washing machine, he noticed the world was much clearer as things started to 

change and God started putting some believers in his life.

Malchak describes the years from 1995 to 1999 as crucial to what God had in store, allowing him to hear the gospel the way God intended. Recognizing he desperately needed a savior, Malchak found the answer to his prayers while driving down a highway in a rental car July 22, 1999. It came in a way he understood best - through music.

“I turned on the radio and the first song I heard was "The Anchor Holds," Malchak says. "I felt like God was speaking right to me through the words of that song. I was that battered ship at sea without an anchor. I cried out to Jesus to save me and repented of my sins."

Inspired by that epiphany on the road, Malchak began his traveling music ministry in 2001 and also began working as a worship leader at several churches over the years. He and his wife Leslie started a non-profit ministry in Savannah, offering Malchak a platform to write and record original songs that share the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ through music and testimony.

To learn more about Tim Malchak and his ministry, visit malchak.com.