Ishida has officially started as a singer in 1964. Then in December, 1968 her early recording "Blue Light Yokohama" (ja:ブルー・ライト・ヨコハマ) was made public by a songwriter Kyohei Tsutsumi (筒美京平). This single recording was her biggest hit, and nominated as a best vocal performance award in Japan. Thanks to its hit, she was introduced on a then NHK program "紅白歌合戦" in the same year and became popular throughout Japan.