Then, Chelli achieved a major fame on stage, starring in a number of successful musical comedies such as Rugantino (1978, together with Enrico Montesano), Cyrano (1979, with Domenico Modugno), and Aggiungi un posto a tavola (1990, with Johnny Dorelli).
In 1958 he won the Sanremo Festival in duo with Domenico Modugno, with the songs "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (also known as "Volare") and "Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)".
Its plot is based on the lyrics of the eponymous hit song of Domenico Modugno.
Domenico Scarlatti | Domenico Modugno | Domenico Ghirlandaio | Giovanni Domenico Cassini | Domenico Trezzini | Domenico Montagnana | San Domenico | Domenico Quaglio the Younger | Domenico Fontana | Domenico Fioravanti | Domenico Fetti | Domenico Fancelli | Gian Domenico Romagnosi | Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi | Domenico Starnone | Domenico Siniscalco | Domenico Raccuglia | Domenico Paolella | Domenico Comparetti | Domenico Caruso | ''The Adoration of the Magi'' by Domenico Ghirlandaio | San Domenico Maggiore | Modugno | Gothic clothed in Renaissance detail: Domenico's Église Saint-Eustache, Paris | Giovanni Domenico Santorini | Giovanni Domenico Mansi | Giovanni Domenico Ferretti | Francesco Domenico Chiarello | Domenico Veneziano | Domenico Tempio |
He is widely sought after in pop music, and has performed with Domenico Modugno, Pino Daniele, and Gianni Morandi.
His most famous song, "Tú me acostumbraste", was written in 1957 and has been recorded by many singers among them, Luis Miguel, Olga Guillot, Chavela Vargas, Pedro Vargas, Caetano Veloso, Luciano Tajoli, Domenico Modugno, Tom Jones, Lola Flores, Sara Montiel, Andrea Bocelli and the Gipsy Kings.
The soundtrack includes Italian 1960s hits such as "Saint Tropez Twist" by Peppino di Capri, Quando, Quando, Quando performed by Emilio Pericoli, "Guarda come dondolo" and "Pinne Fucile ed Occhiali" by Edoardo Vianello and "Vecchio frac" by Domenico Modugno.
His first success was the winning of the competition "Canzonissima" in 1959 with his version of the number one hit "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)" by Domenico Modugno.
Born in Palermo as Antonino Terzo, he worked intensively in the avanspettacolo and revue theater, entering the stage companies of Totò, Peppino De Filippo, Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, Domenico Modugno, among others.