NASHVILLE — Celebrity James F. Linzey was honored on September 13, 2025, with the Peacemaker Award at the prestigious Red Letter Awards in Nashville, Tennessee at the historic Tucker Theater. Linzey is a songwriter, recording artist, author, film actor, and celebrity. Local leaders, newspapers, and radio stations affirmed his impact. One noted: “Jim Linzey is a Coffeyville celebrity, and his influence in singing, songwriting, and recording extends far beyond Coffeyville—Home of the United States Space Force Hymn.”
The Red Letter Awards, directed by Carla Jackson, annually spotlight celebrities who shape culture in the performing arts, literature, and media. The program celebrated the U.S. Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
Major Elizabeth Stephens, USMC-Ret., the first Black female helicopter combat pilot, presented Linzey’s award. Author of ‘Moral Leadership,’ Linzey said, “My mission has been to help military personnel find peace within themselves and their God amid PTSD, battlefield trauma, or guilt over actions that wounded their conscience.”
Linzey wrote the official U.S. Space Force Hymn, ‘Creator of the Universe.’ His radio hit, ‘A Heart of Love,’ was included on the compilation album ‘When the World Turns to God,’ which reached the final votes for the 1996 Dove Awards. He opened for fellow stars Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, and Ray Price, and performs on television worldwide.
In Coffeyville, Linzey owns the Dalton Village and Museum. The museum marks the historic campsite of Chief Black Dog during Osage Nation’s migration.
The son of Captain Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., CHC, USN (Ret.), a survivor of the USS ‘YORKTOWN’ (CV-5) at the Battle of Midway, and Verna Hall Linzey, Southern Gospel songwriter and recording artist whose Black Gospel hymn ‘O Blessed Jesus’ has been sung worldwide, Jim carries forward a legacy of stardom, song, and service.
Together, Jim and Verna Linzey have recorded or sung with Jimmie Rogers, Triumphant Quartet, Sisters, and notable Grand Ole Opry performers, including Nick Bruno, producer and pianist for Elvis Presley’s Stamp’s Quartet.
Linzey stands among Coffeyville’s celebrities—Reb Russell, Gary Busey, Phil Ehart, and Verna Hall Linzey—as the only celebrity currently living in Coffeyville.
