Lennon solo content introduced on iTunes

While long-standing fans of legendary pop-combo The Beatles are still patiently waiting for the band’s music catalogue to appear online (for legal download), a degree of musical respite has been revealed today that may make the waiting a tad easier.California-based Apple Inc. has this week confirmed that John Lennon’s complete solo back-catalogue will be made available for download through its hugely popular iTunes Store. The deal to bring Lennon’s music to iTunes comes soon after a similar content deal that saw Paul McCartney’s solo work also released to Apple’s sprawling download portal. The Reuters news agency reports that the online inclusion of Lennon’s music may well be a solid indicator as to the long-awaited arrival of the deal that will see the entire Beatles back-catalogue released for downloadable consumption. In terms of specific Lennon content appearing on iTunes’ virtual shelves, Apple has announced that some 16 solo albums are included in the deal with EMI Group (one of the world’s ‘big four’ music companies), which also includes the famous "Lennon Legend" compilation and also the "Acoustic" collection.Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow and controller of the Lennon estate, officially approved the online content deal and offered that: "John would have loved the fact that his music will now be available in a format suited to a new generation of listeners."Various Internet sources are now suggesting that Apple and iTunes will shortly reveal similar solo deals for the inclusion of musical content attributed to Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Apple Inc. has thus far dodged offering any official comment on when the collective works of The Beatles will arrive on iTunes.Olivia Harrison, George Harrison’s widow, was quizzed by Reuters in June of 2007 concerning the potential online availability of The Beatles catalogue, at which time she offered: "I don't know if it would be the end of this year, but it would be nice… Imminent, let’s put it that way."