Guns N' Roses Sued by Former Manager Over Efforts to Halt Memoir Publication

Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven has filed a lawsuit against the legendary rock band, claiming they are trying to stop the release of his new memoir, "Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories."

The book, which recounts Niven's decades-long career in the rock industry, including his tenure with Guns N' Roses, has been delayed amid legal disputes.

Niven, who managed Guns N' Roses from 1986 to 1991, alleges that the band is invoking a confidentiality agreement he signed when leaving the group.

According to Niven, this agreement is "void and unenforceable," particularly because it "was not signed by all of its members," including frontman Axl Rose.

Niven's lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, also claims that members of the band—including Slash and Duff McKagan—have themselves publicly discussed Niven in ways that violated the same confidentiality clause.

"Sound N' Fury languishes in a warehouse," Niven stated in court documents. "Thousands of copies have been printed and continue to incur storage expenses. The release date has been moved several times. The public is expecting the book, and I have accrued advance orders."

The memoir, originally scheduled for a late June release, is now tentatively set to be published in March 2026.

Guns N' Roses Accused of Violating Contract

The lawsuit also emphasizes that Niven was previously encouraged by band members to write the book.

Between 2015 and 2018, a member of Guns N' Roses reportedly exchanged multiple emails with Niven about the project.

Despite this, the band later claimed the book violated the old agreement, prompting Niven to seek a court ruling declaring the contract unenforceable.

Niven's suit also cites the personal circumstances under which he signed the buyout agreement.

He claims he was "under severe personal distress" at the time, feeling "betrayed by his former employee, the band's lawyer, and his band," and was forced to accept a buyout "far less than he would have received had he stayed with Guns N' Roses."

In addition to his work with Guns N' Roses, Niven has managed and worked with numerous rock and hair metal acts, including Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Berlin, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper.

At the time of filing, Guns N' Roses has not commented on the lawsuit. According to TheMusic, the band is scheduled to headline next year's Download Festival in the UK alongside Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park.