In 1966, while she was enrolled in Toei, she played a small role in "Yoko, the delinquent girl" (非行少女ヨーコ) starring Mako Midori.

She didn't attend high school and after her mother died when she was 17, she played piano and sang at bars to make ends meet.

On February 5, 1972, at the age of 19, she made her debut as a singer with the album "Onion" (たまねぎ) published by Toshiba Music Industry.

According to Ryotaro Konishi, Lily had written Japanese lyrics to the English language blue song "I'm Crying on the Bed" for fun.

[citation needed] In addition to Sakamoto, the main members include Kosuke Kida, Masami Tsuchiya, Ginji Ito, Ken Yoshida, Nobu Saito, Akira Inoue, and Ryoichi Kuniyoshi.

While she was raising her children, she moved to Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, refrained from media exposure, and devoted herself to being a housewife for several years and until her son reached middle school and resumed her career.

She would continue with her acting career until a 2000s revival in her music brought her back and she began touring with her husband under the Lily & Koji band.