Former Guns N’ Roses Manager Alan Niven Sues Band, Alleges ‘Repeated Threats’ To Block His Memoir Release

Alan Niven, the former manager of Guns N’ Roses, has filed a federal lawsuit against the band, accusing them of “tortious interference” and attempting to block the publication of his memoir, “Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories“.

The lawsuit, according to Blabbermouth, filed on November 3 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, claims that Guns N’ Roses has “blocked publication of the book through repeated threats to Niven and contact with” his publisher, ECW Press.

The memoir, which details Niven‘s career, including his tenure with GNR from 1985 to 1991, was originally scheduled for a July 5 release. Following the alleged threats, the book’s pre-order date has been pushed to March 31, 2026.

According to the complaint, Guns N’ Roses sent a letter in May 2025 “invok[ing] the confidentiality clause in its 1991 buyout agreement with Niven.” Niven‘s lawsuit argues this 34-year-old agreement is unenforceable for several key reasons:

• It “was not signed by all of its members.”
• “GN’R‘s members have commented publicly on Niven.”
• “One member encouraged him to write the book.”
• He “has been speaking about his time in GN’R for over a decade” without prior legal action.

The lawsuit states that the book’s “publication has been delayed for months, even though it received a favorable review from the Los Angeles Times, and has received many preorders.”

Niven is suing for declaratory judgment (to have the contract deemed unenforceable and to declare he is not in breach of it) and for “tortious interference with contract or business expectancy.”

The 1991 buyout agreement contained “mutual privacy/confidentiality provisions” regarding information learned during their time working together. However, Niven‘s attorney argues the agreement “said nothing about things learned after the parties went their separate ways.”

The lawsuit also provides Niven‘s personal context for the 1991 agreement, claiming it was signed under duress.

“At the time, Niven was under severe personal distress because he had been betrayed by his former employee, the band’s lawyer, and his band,” the complaint alleges. “He was forced to take a buyout that was far less than he would have received had he stayed with GN’R, and he was forbidden forever from talking about his time with GN’R.”

“Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories” reportedly includes anecdotes from Niven‘s career, such as “distributing the first Sex Pistols singles in the U.S.,” signing Mötley Crüe (and Frank Ferranna, later Nikki Sixx), managing Great White, and “stories involving the members GN’R” from the classic lineup.