Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx Warns Fans About Unauthorized Biography

Nikki Sixx is none too happy. The Mötley Crüe bassist took to his MySpace blog this week, to warn his fans about 'An Education in Rebellion,' an unauthorized biography of the man who also plays with Sixx A.M. that hit store shelves in 2005. According to Sixx, his "fans [are] getting ripped off by being sold a book without my involvement," and he wanted to set the record straight.

"I feel fans have bought it under the assumption that I approved of it because the writers have collected interviews from people that make it seem relevant," Sixx writes. "These people who were interviewed have told me afterwards that they had no idea that their conversations were being used for an unauthorized book. I want to say that I do not, now or ever, approve of people riding the coattails of other people's hard work and personal lives -- this is criminal, in my opinion. This is no different than what the paparazzi does or the gossipy crap that perches like vultures on our newsstands with magazines like the National Enquirer."

Sixx is speaking out about the tome because its publishers have plans to re-release the book with updated insights. Sixx has released his own memoir, 'The Heroin Diaries.'

"It's scummy at best, to be honest," Sixx says. "My attorneys have already sent them legal letters directing them to stop, but they know the loopholes and how to get around them. Believe it or not, the law allows anyone to write a book about anyone else without getting proper permission, which is really crazy, because my fans think this was endorsed or approved by me, and it's not. This is sad. These people are now partnering up with a company to sell ownership rights to the book's master rights, even though they are my life rights -- again, bordering on scum. I worry about the fans being ripped off. I cannot (nor can any of my friends in the public eye) stop these bottom feeders."

The publishers Rock 'N' Roll Books have responded to Sixx's missive, telling Blabbermouth that "we have never, from day one, made any statement to any effect of this being an authorized telling of Nikki's life story in any way, shape, or form. This book is a celebration of Nikki's life and times, and there's not one single negative word, interview, portrayal or any other remote sort of defamatory or 'salacious' commentary included in the manuscript."

The book, they argue, includes a wide array of interviews with musicians who've worked with Sixx and maintain the book's "a tribute to [the] legacy of Nikki Sixx, and everyone participating -- from the writer to the publishing partners to the millennium rock bands that are included in the bonus sampler -- all are on board for that reason first and foremost." The company says its plans to "proceed with the retail release" of the book, "and hope readers give this book a chance on its merits as a good read above all else."