Born in Florence into a wealthy family, Cheli studied music from an early age.
After graduating from the conservatory, he moved to Milan where he joined several rock groups and eventually co-founded with the guitarist Tony Sydney the band Le Madri.
Put under contract by record label RCA Italiana, he became a member of the vocal group Schola Cantorum.
[1][2] In 1978, Cheli left the band to start a solo career, and the same year he participated to the Festivalbar with the song "Cavalli alati".
Cheli also worked as a composer for other artists, notably Dalida, Jo Chiarello and Flavia Fortunato.