Eri Sugai (菅井えり; January 6, 1961 – December 21, 2016) was a Japanese New Age and pop vocalist, composer, and arranger from Osaka. After graduating from Konan University, Sugai moved to Tokyo to perform as a backing vocalist for Akira Terao. Sugai contributed to over 1,000 television commercials and debuted as a solo artist in 1986 with the album Skip!. Sugai wrote lyrics for the Eriko Miura track “Dakishimete Destiny” and the Akane Oda track “Anataga Irukara Kokoniiru”, both of which reached the top 40 in Japan. In 2000, Sugai collaborated with Stella Mirus on the album Air. Her solo releases on the Pacific Moon label include Mai (2001), featuring the track “Horizon”, and Kaori (2004). Sugai also recorded two albums with her husband, Itaru Watanabe, as the duo Erital. Sugai died of pancreatic cancer on December 21, 2016.
