Gene Simmons believes musicians are treated “worse than slaves” because they are not compensated by radio stations for playing their music.
The KISS star made the declaration during his testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee on Tuesday (09.12.25) as part of a hearing on the American Music Fairness Act which aims to force radio stations to pay artists for playing their songs – and Simmons insisted stars like Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby were given a raw deal.
He told the committee: “Bing Crosby recorded perhaps one of the biggest songs of all time, White Christmas. What’s more American than that?
“Written by Irving Berlin. It’s been on radio, AM and FM – later on FM; originally in AM – millions of times.
“Every Christmas we, and around the world, are listening to ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas’. That’s America’s song.
“Everyone received money – the radio station sold advertising, the plumber who fixed the plumbing got paid, the disc jockey got paid. The only person that was never paid for the airplay was Bing Crosby, which is astonishing … “
He added: “It’s America’s music that rules this planet. Elvis [Presley], baby, the king. Elvis, who sang hundreds and hundreds of songs … Sadly Elvis never got a penny for all the times, all the millions of times that his music was played around the world …”
Gene went on to risk controversy by comparing the situation to slavery, saying: ” 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.”
It comes just months after an open letter in support of the American Music Fairness Act was delivered to Congress. Stars who added their name to the letter included Aerosmith, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Joan Jett, Mariah Carey, Ozzy Osbourne and Stevie Nicks.