Ex-Guns N’ Roses Manager Alan Niven Sues Band, Alleges They Tried to Block His Memoir

Alan Niven, the former manager of Guns N’ Roses, has filed a lawsuit against the band, alleging that they attempted to block the publication of his forthcoming memoir, Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories. The book, which recounts Niven’s time managing the group during their early rise to global fame, has been delayed amid what the suit describes as the band’s threats of legal action.

According to a complaint, the dispute centers on a buyout agreement signed when Niven and the band parted ways in 1991. Guns N’ Roses claim the memoir violates a confidentiality clause within that agreement. Niven, however, argues that the clause is “void and unenforceable,” asserting that the contract itself was never properly executed and that the band’s own actions over the years have invalidated any confidentiality terms.

The filing claims that the agreement “was not signed by all of its members,” a requirement for it to be legally binding. Specifically, Niven contends that Axl Rose never signed the contract, thereby rendering it incomplete. He also alleges that when he signed, he was under “severe personal distress,” having been “betrayed by his former employee, the band’s lawyer, and his band.” The complaint describes the buyout as being “far less than he would have received had he stayed with GNR.”

Niven managed Guns N’ Roses from 1986 to 1991, guiding them through their breakout with Appetite for Destruction, the 1988 follow-up G N’ R Lies, and the early stages of Use Your Illusion. He was dismissed shortly before the release of the latter albums amid tensions within the group.

In addition to contesting the contract’s validity, Niven’s suit accuses Guns N’ Roses members of violating the same confidentiality clause they now claim to enforce. The complaint points to past interviews and memoirs by Slash and Duff McKagan, as well as public comments by Axl Rose, which Niven says were “inflammatory or even defamatory.”

The lawsuit argues that the band never objected when Niven publicly responded to such remarks or when he appeared in documentaries about the group. It also claims that, between 2015 and 2018, “a member of GNR exchanged emails with Niven multiple times regarding the book and encouraged him to write it,” contradicting the band’s current stance.

Sound N’ Fury was initially scheduled for release in June 2024 through ECW Press, but publication has been repeatedly postponed. Niven’s suit alleges that Guns N’ Roses’ representatives sent a letter to the publisher in May 2024, invoking the confidentiality clause and warning against release.

“Due to GNR’s threats, Sound N’ Fury languishes in a warehouse,” the complaint states. “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 to be released, and Niven has accrued advance orders.”

The lawsuit seeks a judgment declaring the agreement non-enforceable, along with rulings of breach of contract and interference with a contract.

If successful, Niven’s case could clear the way for Sound N’ Fury to be released, a memoir that promises firsthand insight into one of rock’s most volatile eras. The filing highlights ongoing tensions between the band and its former manager, who was once credited with stabilizing Guns N’ Roses’ operations during their meteoric ascent.

Current pre-order listings indicate a tentative 2026 release date for the book, pending resolution of the lawsuit.