[3] Colli's father was a singer, drummer and bassist from Milan.

[3] In 1961–1962 Colli debuted as a film and stage actress, and was later featured as a model on the cover of a disk recorded by Giorgio Gaber, an Italian singer, composer, actor and playwright; they married on 12 April 1965.

At the time Colli was studying Chinese and Russian languages at the University of Milan, and was active as a film actress, appearing in at least 10 movies in 1961–1967, including several peplum films.

[3][4] Colli had a hiatus as an actress between 1967 and late 1970s, and focused on her singing career.

In 1994 she became Member of the European Parliament, where she worked at the office of social affairs.