Wealth & Money Quote by Rich Little

There is a sly double-meaning baked into Rich Little's phrasing: "how to do him" is both craft talk (how to perform a Sinatra impression) and a wink at intimacy, the kind of cheeky misdirection a nightclub-era comic can get away with because everyone understands the code. Little isn't just name-dropping Sinatra; he's staging him as a demanding coach, the alpha artist who even in mentorship remains the star of the room.

The line works because it turns impersonation into apprenticeship. Seven years to "master him" quietly argues that mimicry, when done at Little's level, is closer to musicianship than to clowning. It's not about copying a voice; it's about reproducing a rhythm of confidence. Sinatra's alleged advice - "tap your foot" and "grasp your sleeve" - reduces charisma to micro-gestures: the swing-era foot as metronome, the sleeve-grab as prop business that signals controlled nerves. Those details are the subtextual tell that Little is serious about the anatomy of cool.

Context matters: this is the Las Vegas and TV-variety ecosystem where impressions were a currency and Sinatra was a god. Little frames his career as sanctioned by the very man he imitates, a useful credential in a world suspicious of tribute acts. At the same time, the joke keeps Sinatra untouchable. Even when "taught", he's still directing the performance, reminding us that the impersonator's ultimate trick is making the original look even more original.