U.S. radio stations should finally pay recording artists and performers for airplay, KISS legend Gene Simmons told a Senate subcommittee on December 9, 2025, urging passage of the bipartisan American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).
Speaking before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Simmons declared the current system — the only one among developed nations that pays performers nothing for terrestrial radio plays — an “injustice” and said artists are treated “worse than slaves” because “slaves at least get food and water.” He highlighted icons like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, and fellow 2025 Kennedy Center honoree George Strait, who have collectively earned zero dollars despite millions of radio spins.The 73-year-old rocker revealed he personally informed country star George Strait at the Kennedy Center Honors on December 7 that he had never been paid for airplay of hits like “Amarillo by Morning.”
Simmons argued the U.S. stands alone — even Russia and China pay performers — and that the $14 billion radio ad industry can easily afford fair compensation, especially with exemptions protecting small and non-commercial stations.
Appearing the next morning on CBS News 24/7 Mornings, Simmons predicted the bill will pass, citing bipartisan support and his recent conversation with President Trump, whom he praised for the 2018 Music Modernization Act. “If you are against this bill, you are un-American,” he told lawmakers.
The hearing marked the first Senate discussion of terrestrial radio royalties since 2009. More than 300 artists have signed letters supporting AMFA, which is sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and backed by the RIAA, Recording Academy, and SoundExchange.
Broadcasters oppose the measure, warning it could hurt local stations, though large conglomerates like iHeartMedia would bear the bulk of any new fees.
Simmons, honored alongside Strait and others at the Kennedy Center just days earlier, used the platform to blend personal stories with a blunt call for equity: “Performers need radio, radio needs performers — but equitable doesn’t mean you get zero.”