Gene Simmons believes musicians are handled “worse than slaves” as a result of they don’t seem to be compensated by radio stations for enjoying their music.
Gene Simmons has backed the American Music Equity Act
The KISS star made the declaration throughout his testimony earlier than the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Mental Property Subcommittee on Tuesday (09.12.25) as a part of a listening to on the American Music Equity Act which goals to pressure radio stations to pay artists for enjoying their songs – and Simmons insisted stars like Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby got a uncooked deal.
He informed the committee: “Bing Crosby recorded maybe one of many largest songs of all time, White Christmas. What’s extra American than that?
“Written by Irving Berlin. It has been on radio, AM and FM – in a while FM; initially in AM – hundreds of thousands of instances.
“Each Christmas we, and all over the world, are listening to ‘I am dreaming of a white Christmas’. That is America’s track.
“Everybody obtained cash – the radio station bought promoting, the plumber who fastened the plumbing received paid, the disc jockey received paid. The one individual that was by no means paid for the airplay was Bing Crosby, which is astonishing … “
He added: “It is America’s music that guidelines this planet. Elvis [Presley], child, the king. Elvis, who sang lots of and lots of of songs … Sadly Elvis by no means received a penny for all of the instances, all of the hundreds of thousands of instances that his music was performed all over the world …”
Gene went on to threat controversy by evaluating the state of affairs to slavery, saying: ” It seems like a small concern. There are wars happening and all the things, however our emissaries to the world are Elvis and Frank Sinatra.
“After which after they discover out we’re not treating our stars proper, in different phrases, worse than slaves … Slaves get meals and water.
“Elvis and Bing Crosby and Sinatra received nothing for his or her efficiency.
“You have to change this now for our kids and our kids’s kids, and I do know you’ll. The president will signal this as soon as all you guys, respectfully, get your act collectively and put this throughout the board. Let’s do the proper factor. God bless, America.”
It comes simply months after an open letter in assist of the American Music Equity Act was delivered to Congress. Stars who added their title to the letter included Aerosmith, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Joan Jett, Mariah Carey, Ozzy Osbourne and Stevie Nicks.
