WASHINGTON — Kiss rocker Gene Simmons gave blunt advice on Tuesday to the music-loving son of Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California during a Senate hearing on legislation to pay recording artists.

“My youngest son. His name is Diego. He’s ten years old. He has quickly fallen in love — not with the bass, but the electric guitar,” Padilla told Simmons at a Senate hearing where the rocker testified.

“What advice do you have for him?”

“Have a fallback position,” Simmons deadpanned, prompting the Senate hearing room to erupt in laughter.

“And I say this seriously,” Simmons continued after the attendees quieted down, “because since the advent of downloading and file sharing, where artists are actually getting minuscule amounts, barely able to get by.”

Simmons , 76, did giv

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