Sony Music on Thursday released a
remixed single from George Michael, roughly nine months after the pop
icon's death.
The single Fantasy featuring
producer Nile Rodgers was revealed on BBC Radio 2's The Chris
Evans Breakfast Show.
According to various reports, Michael
and Rodgers were working on the project shortly before the British
singer's death. The song was originally conceived as part of
Michael's 1990 Listen Without Prejudice album. Rodgers was
working on the track when Michael died.
Rodgers told PEOPLE that being asked to
rework the song was “one of the greatest honors of his life.”
“I was in his London living room on
Dec. 23, 2016. I flew home on the 24th, and expected a
call from him on the 25th. Instead, I got an alert on my
phone that he was found dead. I was devastated. I only hope I've
made him proud,” Rodgers
said.
Michael, who was forced to come out in
1988 after he was arrested for lewd conduct in a Los Angeles men's
room, was 53 when he died in his British home on Christmas Day. He
sold over 100 million records over four decades.
(Related: Adam
Lambert performs musical tribute to George Michael at Project Angel
Food gala.)