Former Manager Files Lawsuit Against Guns N' Roses Over Memoir Issue

JAKARTA - Former Guns N' Roses (GNR) manager Alan Niven has filed a lawsuit against the rock band for allegedly attempting to block the release of his memoir.

This heated conflict has also resurfaced Niven's decades-long feud with frontman Axl Rose.

The memoir, titled "Sound N' Fury: Rock 'N' Roll Stories," was originally scheduled for publication in July 2025, but was later pushed back to September. The delay arose amidst rumors that Axl Rose's legal team was working hard to block the book's distribution.

The release date has now been pushed back again to March of next year, although the book remains available for online pre-order.

Legal documents related to Niven's lawsuit report that Guns N' Roses is relying on a confidentiality clause purportedly contained in the 1991 buyout agreement.

They are allegedly attempting to halt the book's publication through repeated threats against Niven and contact with publisher ECW.

The lawsuit was filed in Arizona District Court on November 3, with thousands of copies of the printed book now sitting untouched in a warehouse due to GNR's intervention.

Niven responded to the backlash with a compelling argument. He asserted that the settlement agreement was designed so that GNR could purchase his perpetual commission rights.

“The agreement wasn’t designed to be an NDA [non-disclosure agreement],” Niven said, as quoted by NME, Thursday, November 6.

Furthermore, he stated that the agreement at the heart of the dispute wasn’t signed by all band members. While other members like Slash, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan had signed it, Niven claimed Axl Rose hadn’t.

Furthermore, tensions between Niven and Axl Rose date back to the early 1990s. The dispute began in 1991, when the vocalist reportedly refused to continue work on the album “Use Your Illusion” if Niven remained as the band’s manager. The two later parted ways and reached a settlement.

In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Niven accused the vocalist of violating the terms of the agreement in 1991. Interestingly, Niven revealed that support came from the rest of the band.

“Slash emailed me to set the record straight and made it clear that I was allowed to say whatever I wanted,” Niven said. “He also consistently encouraged me to finish the book in his emails.”