David Pataconi
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On March 20, the symphonic, electronic musical mastermind David Pataconi adds to his legacy with a duology of singles: 'Tears in My Coffee' and 'You Don't Waste a Tear,' both written and released as David comes to the end of his battle with Stage 4 cancer and enters eternity. The songs are available from AD Windblown Media Records on Spotify, Apple Music and all other major streaming platforms.
David Pataconi faced a short but relentless battle with Stage 4 cancer, and he selected release dates for the songs while in hospice during the final weeks of his earthly life. He passed...
Read More On March 20, the symphonic, electronic musical mastermind David Pataconi adds to his legacy with a duology of singles: 'Tears in My Coffee' and 'You Don't Waste a Tear,' both written and released as David comes to the end of his battle with Stage 4 cancer and enters eternity. The songs are available from AD Windblown Media Records on Spotify, Apple Music and all other major streaming platforms.
David Pataconi faced a short but relentless battle with Stage 4 cancer, and he selected release dates for the songs while in hospice during the final weeks of his earthly life. He passed three days before the songs’ release.
“Tears In My Coffee” and “You Don’t Waste a Tear” stand as a final testament to the way that the experimental songwriter approached his cancer journey with the utmost faith, perseverance and trademark good humor.
Although they’re released together, the two songs showcase extremely distinct soundscapes: “Tears In My Coffee,” a duet with David’s sister Holly Noel, is a gentle ballad that could play well on CHR or Adult Contemporary radio. “You Don’t Waste a Tear” is classic David Pataconi industrial, electronic rock, reminiscent of bands like Nine Inch Nails and Celldweller.
“After being diagnosed with a rare Stage 4 cancer, David Pataconi took on an attitude of praise. His mission was to suffer well (as expressed in James Chapter 1). This upbeat song is a reflection of praise to God and trust in times of distress,” explains AD Windblown president Asche Relesser.
“It was born out of my devotional time with God,” David himself explained. “Oftentimes, I would wake up in the morning to spend time with God, and I would have a cup of coffee and go through these devotionals and have quiet time with God, which really helped me. I would often cry because God would be speaking to me about something. He's really gotten me through this whole cancer journey. I don't think I ever literally cried in my coffee, but it was born out of that time."
“In the moment of quiet
In the stillness of day
These tears in my coffee
Reflect all my pain
And I trust in You, Jesus
That You'll make a way
These tears in my coffee are healing me today.”
The song took on a whole new layer of meaning when his sister, Holly Noel, recorded her duet vocal part on the track. The result is a ballad that could easily find its way into formats that would introduce David to a new range of listeners who will be moved by his powerful voice and testimony.
By contrast, “You Don’t Waste A Tear” is an industrial rock moment that declares deep faithfulness that no moment of suffering goes to waste.
David recalled, “I received the lyrics for this song in the middle of the night from God. They are out of Psalm 56:8, which says that God collects all our tears in a bottle and counts each one. Even our tears mean so much to God, and none of them are wasted.”
He continued, “It was really beautiful, because after I wrote all the lyrics down in my phone, God told me to copy and paste them into a group chat that I'm in with a few friends that are wonderful and dear to me who are going through suffering too. Within a few minutes, one of them responded and said that she'd been crying for hours. She looked at her phone and saw the lyrics, and they were really healing to her. That was really a blessing for me, to be a blessing to her."
David Pataconi has been a blessing to others for his whole life, including during his battle with cancer. Brian “Head” Welch of Korn became aware of David’s story and has this to say of the friendship that developed as a result:
“A friend connected me to David Pataconi early in 2025. His faith in Christ while walking through his cancer diagnosis inspired me so much that I knew I had to meet him in person. We finally met at a festival in Arizona in May 2025, where I was speaking,” Head shares. “David agreed to come on stage and share his story. It deeply inspired the couple of thousand people in attendance. I sincerely mean it when I say that David is a perfect example to me of how to stay faithful, strong, and positive while walking through such unfair and agonizing circumstances in life.”
Industry peers in kLaNk feel the same.
“When his cancer battle began, the world got to see not only the magnitude of his strength, but also his faith. He never wavered, never blamed God for his illness, but instead, ran at it full speed headfirst,” Darren Diolosa of kLaNk explains.
“I truly admire him as a person, as a friend and as a musician,” adds kLaNk’s Patt Servedio. “These two new songs are what you’d expect from a David Pataconi release: fantastic musicianship, production and melodies. Just top notch! Please check these songs out, share them, and if you haven’t already, listen to his entire catalog!”
David Pataconi spent his final earthly days sleeping and dreaming of eternity as he reached the end of a race well-run. He described a dream in which he caught a glimpse of heaven in one of his final waking moments.
The music community rallied around David to release these two powerful, testimony-centric songs. They are the first of a prospective greatest-hits collection to come from AD Windblown Media, of which David was a co-owner and critical member, a company and spiritual community where he helped develop and encourage other rising artists. David also left an unfinished album to his industry peers, who he invited to take on the songs to complete when the timing is right.
