John Anthony "Tony"Gregory, 66, of Knoxville, Tenn., a Butler native, died Tuesday at his home.

He was a veteran of the Navy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a booking agent for the William Morris Agency and the International Famous Agency. He worked closely with Dinah Shore, Pearl Bailey, Jimmy Durante, and Milton Berle and signed 1960s music stars the Box Tops and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap to the William Morris Agency.

It was his faith in a community theater production called "Grease" that earned him the most fame. He was the first investor in "Grease" and was instrumental in getting New York producers to consider taking the show to Broadway.

Although he had retired, he was working part time at the Mattress Outlet in Knoxville.

He is survived by his wife, Anna Johnson Gregory; daughter, Antigone; a son Damian Gregory; a stepdaughter, Amanda Angel; three brothers Leonard, Tyrone and James Gregory; and grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Leonard F. and Dimitra KeffalasGregory, and a brother, Richard Noel Gregory.

<B>Gregory</B> — Burial for John Anthony "Tony"Gregory, who died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, was Friday at the Veterans Cemetery Lyons View Pike, Knoxville.A local memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 432 Center Ave.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Friends Fur Life Inc., 6528 Westside Drive, Knoxville, TN 37909-1000 or at www.friendsfurlifetn.org.