Former Guns N’ Roses manager files lawsuit against band
Alan Niven, the former manager of Guns N’ Roses, has filed a lawsuit against the band regarding his book.
Niven, who served as the band’s manager from 1986 until 1991 during a chaotic five-year period as they rose to fame, is alleging that Guns N’ Roses are preventing him from releasing his memoirs, Sound N’ Fury: Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories.
The book was initially set for release in July 2025, before it was moved back to September, and now has a pre-order date of March 2026 on Amazon.
The dispute between Niven and Guns N’ Roses relates to a buy-out agreement that was made in 1991 when he parted ways from his role, which the band allegedly claims is violated by the book. However, Niven has stated that the clause is “void and unenforceable”.
Per legal documents, obtained by Rolling Stone, the buy-out agreement was “not signed by all of its members” which it allegedly requires “to be effective”. Niven also claims that the band have broken the clause by speaking about him in an “inflammatory or even defamatory” manner.
Niven alleged that a member of the band “exchanged emails with Niven multiple times regarding the book and encouraged him to write it” between 2015 and 2018.
In the filing, he also said he was “under severe personal distress” when signing the buy-out agreement in 1991. Niven says he was “betrayed by his former employee, the band’s lawyer, and his band” and “forced to take a buyout that was far less than he would have received had he stayed with GNR“.
The lawsuit claims that due to “threats” from the band, the book now languishes in a warehouse. Niven’s lawsuit aims to secure a judgement of non-enforceability for the agreement, as well as rulings of breach of contract or interference with a contract.
Guns N’ Roses are yet to comment on the lawsuit.
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