Bechi studied in his native Florence with Raul Frazzi and di Giorgio, and made his debut at Empoli, in 1936, as Germont in La traviata.

He quickly established himself as the leading dramatic baritone of his time, in roles such as Rigoletto, Count de Luna, Renato, Carlo, Amonasro, Alfio, Gérard, but was also admired as Figaro and Hamlet.

Bechi sang relatively little outside Italy, but did appear in England and North and South America in the late 1950s, but by then he was past his best.

In his prime, Bechi possessed a dark and incisive voice and was a fine singing actor.

He can be heard in a number of early recordings, opposite Beniamino Gigli, such as Un ballo in maschera, Aida, Andrea Chénier, and Cavalleria rusticana, conducted by Pietro Mascagni himself.