Gene Simmons, legendary frontman and bassist for KISS, sharply criticized lawmakers on Tuesday while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.
Speaking in support of the American Music Fairness Act — a bill that would require AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties for sound recordings — Simmons argued that a decades-old loophole has deprived generations of American artists, from Bing Crosby to Elvis Presley, of fair compensation whenever their songs are played on the radio.
Calling the situation “an injustice that has been going on for many decades,” he urged Congress to act, noting that even countries with authoritarian governments compensate performers more fairly than the U.S.
“Our children are tomorrow’s stars,” he said. “If you work hard and get to the top, you shouldn’t get nothing. That’s not the American way. If you are against this bill, you are un-American.”
Simmons’ push echoes past bipartisan efforts, including President Donald Trump’s 2018 Music Modernization Act, which updated copyright laws for the streaming era.
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