{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/legendary-pianist-johnnie-johnson-to-receive-congressional-gold-medal", "Legendary Pianist Johnnie Johnson To Receive Congressional Gold Medal", "2016-11-27", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Legendary Pianist Johnnie Johnson To Receive Congressional Gold Medal \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Sunday, November 27, 2016\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Brian Feldman\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Legendary jazz pianist and Montford Point Marine Johnnie Johnson will posthumously receive the Congressional Gold Medal Monday morning at the National Blues Museum. The late World War II veteran\u2019s widow, Frances Johnson, will accept the award on his behalf.\r\n\u201cIt makes me so proud. I\u2019m still thoroughly amazed at the man I married,\u201d Frances Johnson said. \u201cI\u2019m just ecstatic. The whole family is just flying so high right now with pride.\u201d\r\nJohnson lived in St. Louis and is among the greatest jazz and blues piano players in history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.\r\n\u201cHe was a much better piano player than people gave him credit for. Everybody gave him great accolades for what he was doing but I heard even better things. And I was his worst critic,\u201d Johnson said.\r\nBill Stalnaker was one of Johnnie Johnson\u2019s best friends.\r\n\u201cAt four years old he got his first piano and he was pretty gifted. His mother said \u2018Oh my. It\u2019s a gift from God,'\u201d Stalnaker said.\r\nU.S. Senator Claire McCaskill helped pass legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to all Montford Point Marines who trained for duty at the segregated Montford Point facility in North Carolina. Previously, the Marine Corps was all-white and African-Americans were forced to serve in a separate unit.\r\nJohnson endured significant racism and inspired social change during that time. He began his illustrious musical career following his service.\r\nJohnson died in April 2005.\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/legendary-pianist-johnnie-johnson-to-receive-congressional-gold-medal"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0282211005687714, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}