She was born to a musician father and a mother who was a singer, thus encouraging her musical career.

[4] The actress was one of Japan's best-known singers in the mid-20th century and also appeared in numerous television shows from the early 1950s until just before her death.

However, she is fairly unknown in many other parts of the world since her albums were rarely distributed in other markets, in which her music can almost only be accessed via the internet.

[6] On the afternoon of February 13, 1982, Eri was found prone and not breathing on the bed of her Minato Ward apartment in Tokyo, by her manager.

Many of her albums focused on Japanese folk music though she would often blend American standards with Latin grooves[7] at the behest of Nobuo Hara, a prolific jazz musician and leader of Eri's backing band.