Gene Simmons Testifies on Bill to Pay Artists for Radio Play: ‘If You Are Against This Bill, You Are Un

Gene Simmons, co-founder and bass player of the band KISS, told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday (Dec. 9) that paying recording artists for broadcast radio performances isn’t just a matter of fairness; it’s a matter of patriotism. “If you are against this bill, you are un-American,” said Simmons, who veered from typical Congressional hearing practice by making his introductory remarks without notes.

Simmons appeared at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property titled Balancing the Interests of Local Radio, Songwriters, and Performers in the Digital Age, which hosted various industry professionals’ viewpoints on the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), a bill that would require broadcast radio companies to pay for the performance of sound recordin