Gene Simmons, frontman for the rock band KISS, called out lawmakers on Tuesday during a hearing on a bill that would increase musician pay for songs played on AM/FM radio stations.
Gene Simmons, bassist and vocalist for the 70s rock band KISS, testified on Tuesday in support of The American Music Fairness Act during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. The bill would require radio stations to pay royalties for sound recordings, a loophole that Simmons said has been used to prevent American music legends like Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley from getting paid when their songs are played on the radio.
He asked lawmakers to support the bill and fix “an injustice that has been going on for many decades.”
“How do we dare come in second to Russia, an alleged country led by a despot, when they do a better job of paying our king of rock and roll?” Simmons said. “We’re going to stand by and not pay today’s artists and future artists because, let’s face it, our children are tomorrow’s stars.
“When you work hard, and you get to the top, what do you got? Zipperooni. That’s not the American way,” Simmons continued. “If you are against this bill, you are un-American. You cannot let this injustice continue.”
President Donald Trump has previously shown sympathy for issues raised by similar artists. In 2018, Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, which was supported by artists such as Smokey Robinson and Maren Morris, to update U.S. copyright laws to adapt to the streaming age.
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