Strange affliction with ps1

Hi Gang,
Gotta problem with my ps1. If I play a CD, all is good, everything works exactly the way it should. BUT, when I insert a game.....it loads and gets to the first page of the game( let's say what language do you want),
and the controller dies. Won't work, nada, nothing! Anybody got any ideas?

 

I don't think the controller is dead. The console just can't read the CD that's why it doesn't respond anymore.
Anyway, that's my guess.

 

Does the controller die on all games or on only one game?

 

Is it an original Sony controller or a 3rd party unit?

If there was one thing I learned back in the PS1 days it was never to use 3rd party peripherals.