Former QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate has revealed a surprising obstacle to his long-awaited autobiography: it may never be published — and his own lawyer is the reason why.
"I have an autobiography I've finished, but my lawyer tells me it's way too dangerous to release it," Tate told Laughing Monkey With Shawn Ratches. "So litigious, you know? I'll wait till I die to put it out, I guess. My kids will benefit from it." He laughed as he said it, but the implication was clear: the book contains material volatile enough to trigger serious legal consequences.
Tate, a dedicated journaler who has kept diaries throughout his entire career, spent years building the manuscript from personal notes covering album recording sessions, life on the road, personal highs and lows, and what he described as "big, messy sections of life" that deserve honest discussion. In 2023, he told interviewers he was "close to finishing" but that his publisher had returned the manuscript asking for more depth. He also expressed genuine surprise at "how much life I've had" — 67 countries visited, five decades in rock and metal.
The legal concern almost certainly stems from TATE's explosive split from QUEENSRŸCHE in 2012. After being fired from the band he co-founded, Tate engaged in a nearly two-year legal battle over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name and legacy. The parties settled in April 2014. Tate was ultimately replaced by former CRIMSON GLORY vocalist Todd La Torre.
Whether the autobiography sees daylight remains an open question. For now, by Tate's own account, its contents are "way too dangerous" — and that may be the most intriguing endorsement any unreleased book has ever received.