KISS Co-Founder Gene Simmons Testifies the Music Industry Treats Artists ‘Worse Than Slaves,’ Praises Trump Fighting for Singers
by Breitbart News
KISS co-founder Gene Simmons and others testified for and against the proposed American Music Fairness Act during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing Tuesday in Washington.
Simmons told the Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee that he supports the bill that would force AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties to the copyright holders of respective works played, according to Roll Call.
“It looks like a small issue [when] there are wars going on and everything,” Simmons said. “But our emissaries to the world are Elvis and Frank Sinatra.”
He said artists such as Elvis, Sinatra and Bing Crosby are treated “worse than slaves” by radio broadcasters.
“Slaves get food and water,” Simmons said. “Elvis and Bing Crosby and Sinatra got nothing for their performance.”
Also testifying in support of the proposed act was Michael Huppe, president and chief executive officer of SoundExchange, which helps music creators to collect royalties whenever their music is played internationally.
He said radio corporations made $250 billion in ad revenue over the past 16 years, while recording artists “were paid exactly zero.”
Broadcasters are using “other people’s property” to make money without paying them, and the United States is the only country that does not pay performers when they music is played on radio, Huppe said, adding that “even Russia and China pay.”