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Okeh Records was founded by Otto Heinemann (1877-1965), a German-American manager for the U.S. branch of German owned Odeon Records. As World War I raged in Europe, Heinemann thought it best to have an American based company.

He incorporated the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation (later re-named General Phonograph Corporation) in 1916, set up his own recording studio and gramophone record pressing plant in New York City, and introduced the company's line of records for public sale in September of 1918. Heinemann formed the name of the record label "Okeh", from his initials. 

Okeh began by issuing popular songs, dance numbers, and vaudeville skits similar to the fare of other labels, but Heineman also wished to experiment with music for audiences neglected by the larger record companies. Okeh produced lines of recordings in German, Czech, Polish, Swedish, and Yiddish for the USA's immigrant communities. Some were pressed from masters leased from European labels, others were recorded by Okeh in New York.

In 1920, Ralph Peer's recordings by African-American blues singer Mamie Smith were a surprise smash hit for Okeh. The company perceived the significant little tapped market for blues and jazz by African American artists.  

In 1922 Okeh hired Clarence Williams to act as director of "Race" (African American) recordings for Okeh's New York studios, in addition to making recordings under his own name. Okeh then opened a recording studio in Chicago, Illinois, the center of jazz in the 1920s, where Richard M. Jones served as "Race" recordings director. Okeh recorded many classic jazz performances by the likes of King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong.

In 1926 Columbia Records purchased controlling interest in Okeh. The Okeh label was continued until 1935. Columbia again revived the label in 1940 after they lost the rights to the Vocalion name (by dropping the Brunswick label) and pressed it until 1946; it was revived in the 1950's and used sporadically, into the 1990s.