KISS frontman Gene Simmons took aim at political obsession during a Sunday interview with CNN, encouraging Americans to lighten up and stop worrying about their neighbors’ political affiliations.
“It’s nobody’s business who you support,” Simmons told Manu Raju on CNN’s Inside Politics. “Nowadays, people engage in, ‘So are you pro or,’ and my first question is, ‘Who the f**k are you? Who are you?’ Since when does who I support or not support is the business of anyone except my conscience?”
When asked about the Make America Great Again (MAGA) wing of the Republican Party, Simmons questioned the public’s fascination with his personal politics.
“Some of it makes sense and some not,” he said. “But literally, have a sense of humor. Take a pill, shut up and stop worrying what your next-door neighbor believes or doesn’t believe. It’s their America too.”
The rock icon also reflected on his interactions with political figures over the years, noting that personal connections often outweigh partisan divides.
“Had some face time with Senator Tillis and Blackburn and met Mr. Schiff and so on. But the telling moment was after we all got our Kennedy Center awards, as I had some face time alone with the president,” Simmons said.
“And I actually met the president and on and off for years and years, decades before he entered politics. And the conversation was what human beings do. How‘s the family? How are the kids? And, you know, all that stuff. It‘s not always about politics,” he added.
Beyond his comments on politics, Simmons has recently been active on Capitol Hill advocating for musicians’ rights. He testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee this month in support of the American Music Fairness Act, a bill that could fundamentally change how radio stations compensate artists.
If passed, the legislation would require AM and FM stations to pay recording artists and performers when their songs are broadcast, ending a decades-long exemption in U.S. copyright law. The bill would also provide small local stations with low, flat fees to ensure they aren’t disproportionately affected, while aligning traditional radio with streaming services that already pay royalties to artists.
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