He had trained as a ballet dancer. Warhol discovered him dancing at the Dom - "...a small, muscular blonde kid made a ballet leap that practically spanned the dance floor".
His body was found near the West Side Highway. Although it was possibly a hit and run, many friends assumed he had overdosed on drugs and his body was moved there.
The Sonic Youth song "Eric's Trip" (from Daydream Nation, DGC/Geffen) is inspired by Emerson's LSD monologue in Chelsea Girls.