Alan Niven, former manager of Guns N' Roses during what his lawyers call his “most prolific period” in the 1980s and early '90s, sued his former business partners in Arizona for their attempts to stop the publication of his memoirs. Sound N' Fury: Rock 'n' Roll Stories.
In a lawsuit filed yesterday and received DiversityNiven's lawyers argue that the confidentiality agreement they signed in 1991 has been repeatedly violated by Guns N' Roses' three core members – singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagen – in books and interviews, and that Niven himself has not previously faced any legal action for giving his own interviews involving his history with the band.
Despite this, Niven claims that Guns N' Roses blocked the release of his memoir with a cease and desist letter sent to him earlier this year. The former manager says it's partly because of these statements by Guns N' Roses that he's allowed to respond to their “derogatory” remarks; that storing “thousands” of printed books requires large storage costs; and that Rose never signed the agreement, among other things. He sues to be able to publish his book.
Before Guns N' Roses, Niven represented Great White in the '80s and '90s and filed a lawsuit against its label, Universal Music Group, in 2023. (Great White, with the exception of the hit “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” is probably best remembered for headlining a tragic 2003 concert in which 100 people died due to illegal soundproofing and pyrotechnics, and most recently performing a maskless show in the middle of a pandemic.) In that case, Niven claimed he was owed nearly $1 million in fees and royalties. It was rejected and Niven is currently considering an appeal.
In 2010, Niven also sued Australian band The Brewster Brothers, claiming copyright infringement and demanding publishing royalties as well as the return of two guitars. The judge in the case ruled in Niven's favor regarding copyrights to 11 songs, the return of Niven's guitars and payment of $295.77 in damages to him, dismissing the remaining charges.
