**Randy Travis Testifies Before House Judiciary to Advocate for Radio Royalties**
**WASHINGTON D.C. (June 20, 2024)** – Country music legend Randy Travis and SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe are set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet on Wednesday, June 26. The hearing, titled “Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists,” will focus on the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 791). This bipartisan legislation aims to close a century-old loophole by requiring AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties to artists when their songs are played on the air.
Travis, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013, will also advocate for the protection of music creators in the face of advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Last month, he released his first new song since the stroke, “Where That Came From,” utilizing groundbreaking AI tools that have been artist-sanctioned.
“Royalties are critical for survival in today’s music industry, especially for working-class musicians and performers who are not able to tour,” said Travis. “The American Music Fairness Act will make a real difference in the lives of working musicians – not just big-name artists, but folks all around the country who play on albums or sing backup vocals on top of a nine-to-five job. I’m looking forward to this hearing and talking about the urgent need for Congress to pass this bill and level the playing field for creators.”
AM/FM radio remains the most popular music delivery platform in the U.S., reaching nearly 300 million people (88% of the country) each week and playing an estimated 967 million songs each year. Despite this, artists currently receive no royalties when their songs are broadcast on AM/FM radio.
“I’m honored to testify alongside Randy Travis, a true legend in the history of American music,” added Huppe. “Randy has faced incredible challenges throughout his career, and his resilience in the face of adversity is a model to all of us. The American Music Fairness Act would end a 100-year era of unfair treatment to the creators of the music that feeds the most popular music delivery platform in our country.”
The American Music Fairness Act was introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and in the U.S. Senate by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). The legislation offers a balanced solution that ensures music creators are fairly compensated when their songs are played on AM/FM radio while allowing small, independent broadcasters to thrive. The bill enjoys support from a diverse coalition of artists, broadcasters, labels, and music lovers.
Supporters of the American Music Fairness Act include:
– **Broadcasters**: Organizations such as the Alliance for Community Media, Common Frequency, Media Alliance, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), Prometheus Radio Project, and REC Networks.
– **Artists**: From icons like Gloria Estefan and Dionne Warwick to contemporary stars like David Byrne and Common, thousands of artists have voiced their support.
– **Public Sentiment**: Americans support passing a law to give artists performance royalties for AM/FM radio plays by a 4:1 ratio.
Every Democratic and Republican administration since President Carter has supported a performance right for sound recordings in the U.S. Organizations like musicFIRST are at the forefront of this fight, advocating for fair pay for music creators on all platforms. They aim to dismantle the outdated system that allows AM/FM radio to broadcast songs without compensating the performers, ensuring fair pay in the evolving landscape of digital radio and beyond.
Randy Travis, with lifetime sales in excess of 25 million, is one of the biggest multi-genre record sellers of all time and an inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame class of 2016. His honors include seven Grammy Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music statuettes, 10 American Music Awards, two People’s Choice awards, seven Music City News awards, eight Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and five Country Music Association honors. In addition, three of his performances earned CMA Song of the Year honors: “On the Other Hand” (1986), “Forever and Ever Amen” (1987), and “Three Wooden Crosses” (2002). To date, he has 23 No. 1 singles, 31 Top-10 smashes, and more than 40 appearances in feature films and television shows to his credit. Four of his albums are Gold Records, four are Platinum, one has gone Double Platinum, one is Triple Platinum, and another is Quintuple Platinum. In 2004, Randy was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is honored on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, TN. He has been a member of the cast of the Grand Ole Opry since 1986. Since his near-fatal stroke in 2013, with the help of his wife Mary and rigorous physical therapy, Randy continues to make improvements in his speaking, walking, and singing. With the help of author Ken Abraham, he released his critically-acclaimed memoir in 2019, “Forever and Ever, Amen.” In 2021, CMT named Randy the CMT Artist of a Lifetime, and in 2022, the country music icon released his award-winning documentary “More Life.”
The hearing on June 26 will be a pivotal moment for the music industry, as it seeks to address long-standing inequities and ensure that all music creators receive fair compensation for their work.
**Source**: Celebrity Access, Radio Ink
