The year is 1956. Western freshman John C. Davis Jr. and a group of his fraternity brothers drive around downtown Bowling Green’s old Bradford Service Station while throwin’ back some cold ones.

They aren’t there to get drunk. They’re there to get a glimpse of the King, Elvis Presley, who is playing there that night.

“All of a sudden we saw a man with rolled up black slacks, a black button up shirt, and a head of hair like I don’t know what heading into one of the bathrooms,” Davis said. “I said ‘now boys, that is Elvis Presley, and I am going to get his autograph,’ and so I did.”

Davis’ dad had always told him to carry around a pen and never a pencil, so if he ever had to write something important down it would be legible and would last. This was one of those times.

He pulled the car over and steadily walked toward Presley, striking up a conversation with him. Presley signed the paper and handed it back to him.

“You boys really shouldn’t be ridin’ around drinkin’ those beers,” Davis remembers Presley telling the group. “Now go on home and have a good night.”

So Davis and his frat brothers drove off into the night, throwing the remaining two beers out the window.

Fifty-two years later people can still find Davis downtown, but instead using his pen to jot down adventures of a different kind in what he calls his “Little Black Book.”

Davis uses his little book to record random information he doesn’t already know. He even places bets with his golf buddies, who challenge his knowledge about what’s in the little black book.

One of his earlier bets was about news anchor Ted Koppel wearing a hair piece. He was convinced that he didn’t wear one, while his friends disagreed.

“I found a newspaper article about Ted that verified he didn’t wear a hair piece, but his hair was just thick and natural,” he said. “I won that bet.”

If people find themselves flipping through his little black book, listed under “A” they would find how many square feet were to each acre of the World Trade Center Towers- 43,560 sq. ft.

One of his favorite entries is under “I”. He recorded information about the Kentucky ice storm on March 9-10, 1960.

This one always starts conversation in his 80-year-old family-owned store, the Spot Cash Store, where he sells men’s work attire. Several customers have come into his store still talking about that ice storm, but Davis said they get the information wrong.

Out comes the little black book.

He treasures this little black book because it’s a great form of advertising for his store. He shares his love by handing them out to his customers.

Davis says that the little black book is a good way to meet people. For instance, one night in Nashville when he met a girl at a bar.

“I struck up a conversation and told her I owned a men’s clothing store and asked for her phone number so we could get lunch sometime,” he said.

After he got her number, he gave her a little black book. When he left he realized he gave her his book. This book contained phone numbers of his female friends, including hers.

“She mailed my book back, but never showed up for lunch,” he said.

But he moved on. He continues to pass out little black books with one thought in mind.

“Put your name and address in the front of the little black book, so if you lose it, whoever finds it can find you,” he said.

Reach Alex Booze at diversions@chherald.com.