May 14, 2008 marks a special day for Councilman Claude Mattox and his wife, Sherri Fagan. On that day, they will celebrate 25 years of marriage.

Their love story began in 1979 when Mattox was part of a band touring the Midwest. The tour was kicking off in Dixon, Ill., (the childhood home of President Ronald Reagan and for you Dating Game trivia buffs, home of the Petunia Festival). The bartender at that first gig was a cute little local girl named Sherri.

They began dating, but Sherri had already made plans to move to sunny California. After a few weeks, Mattox, a true gentleman, helped load her belongings onto the truck and she was off. She made it all the way to Phoenix, but couldn’t afford to rent the U-Haul truck all the way to San Diego. So she decided to stay in Phoenix, and Mattox followed his heart and chased that cute little Illinois girl a few months later.

Mattox’s business required him to travel around the country from the new Phoenix home base for the next couple of years. They finally settled down permanently in 1982, married in 1983, and the rest is history.

As for their anniversary plans, they will celebrate their commitment over a romantic visit to the Central coast of California wine country. “I met a young woman who became strong, independent and a best friend and great partner. Like any other marriage, we’ve had our ups and downs and over the past 25 years we’ve made a successful team. I’m still in love and a lucky man,” Mattox admits.