Gene Simmons, the bassist and co-lead vocalist of legendary rock band KISS, recently addressed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee regarding the American Music Fairness Act. This testimony was reported by LiveNow from FOX.
During his testimony, Simmons highlighted what he described as an ongoing injustice in how American artists are compensated, particularly regarding radio airplay. He used historical examples to illustrate his point about the lack of payment artists receive for their work.
“I’m here to kindly ask all of you, both Republicans and Democrats, to help us remedy a situation — an injustice, let’s call it for what it is, an injustice that’s been ongoing for many, many decades,” Simmons said in his address to the committee.
Simmons emphasized the cultural significance of American music globally. He pointed to iconic artists who never received compensation for their performances.
“I wanna talk about why this is called the American Music — you gotta stop there — American Music Fairness Act. Yes, it’s an act that’s fair because there isn’t fairness ongoing right now, but it’s American music. America. Last time I checked Zimbabwe gave the world no music. I can’t sing you a French song, and nobody else. It’s America’s music that rules this planet. Elvis [Presley], baby, the king. Elvis, who sang hundreds and hundreds of songs, and I met the gentleman when he was alive, and sadly Elvis never got a penny for all the times, all the millions of times that his music was played around the world. If you go to Africa… you hear that music. That is our emissary. That’s bigger and cooler and better than any foreign minister that goes on. American culture spreads with our music, with our pop culture. Elvis never got a penny,” he stated.
He further escalated his rhetoric by comparing the treatment of artists to historical injustices.
Simmons said, “It looks like a small issue. There are wars going on and everything, but our emissaries to the world are Elvis and Frank Sinatra. And then when they find out we’re not treating our stars right, in other words, worse than slaves… Slaves get food and water. Elvis and Bing Crosby and Sinatra got nothing for their performance. You’ve got to change this now for our children and our children’s children, and I know you will. The president will sign this once all you guys, respectfully, get your act together and put this across the board. Let’s do the right thing. God bless, America.”
Simmons called for immediate legislative action to address the issue. He expressed confidence in future support. “You’ve got to change this now for our children and our children’s children, and I know you will. The president will sign this once all you guys, respectfully, get your act together and put this across the board,” he concluded.
Simmons’ passionate testimony underscores a fundamental disparity in how artists are compensated across different media platforms. The American Music Fairness Act, which Simmons advocates for, represents a bipartisan effort to address this longstanding inequity in the music industry.
The American Music Fairness Act is a bipartisan legislative effort aimed at requiring AM and FM radio stations to pay performing artists, session musicians, and vocalists royalties when their music is broadcast on terrestrial radio. This represents a significant departure from current U.S. law, under which traditional radio stations do not compensate performers for playing their recordings. Digital platforms such as SiriusXM and streaming services, by contrast, already provide artist compensation, as noted by the American Federation of Musicians.
The core issue at the heart of Simmons’ testimony is a fundamental market inequity. Radio corporations have profited billions in advertising revenue from music plays without compensating performers. The bipartisan legislation would align traditional radio with digital and streaming platforms that already pay artists royalties, according to Fox Business reporting on the conservative groups backing the bill. This alignment would ensure that billion-dollar radio corporations finally share their earnings with the artists whose work generates that revenue.
The proposed legislation includes important protections for smaller broadcasters. Small and local broadcasters with less than $1.5 million in annual revenue would be exempt from the requirements, as would those whose parent companies earn less than $10 million annually. Their fees would be limited to $500 or less per year. Public, college, and noncommercial stations would pay only a nominal fee, such as $100 annually, ensuring that local radio ecosystems remain accessible while still supporting artists’ rights, per Music Fairness Action.
The act also addresses a broader principle of fairness in intellectual property rights. The legislation ensures that no negative impact occurs on songwriters and publishers’ royalties. It focuses the new royalties specifically on performers without harming existing songwriter payment structures. This targeted approach recognizes the distinct contributions of recording artists while maintaining the existing framework that compensates songwriters and composers, as detailed by SoundExchange’s advocacy materials.
Simmons’ testimony reflects growing momentum behind the legislation. Prominent musicians and conservative groups are advocating for the bill on the grounds of property rights and fair market principles. The push for the American Music Fairness Act represents a potential watershed moment for artist compensation in the United States. It could reshape how the radio industry operates and ensure that performers finally receive payment for their work—a principle Simmons argues is fundamental to American values and justice.
