OMMA: Origins of Modern Music Archive

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OMMA: Origins of Modern Music Archive

OMMA is a research-driven media archive uncovering the first commercial recordings of the artists who shaped modern music.

Combining museum-grade documentation with storytelling, OMMA tells the origin stories exploring where musical history begins.

09/19/2026

The OMMA website redesign is up and features our newest accessions, including this one. Eighteen-year-old Jon Bongiovi was a janitor at his cousin’s record studio in 1980 when the producer of a Star Wars holiday record asked the teen to take lead vocals on one of the tracks. The result was “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” one of the most unique debuts of any musical star. Three years later Bongiovi broke out with his hit “Runaway,” which he put out under his more recognizable name, Jon Bon Jovi. See more at originsarchive.com/jon-bon-jovi

07/12/2026

Came across this yesterday at a city-wide rummage sale - 1939 original featuring Judy Garland, with case not in bad shape. Missing disc 4 with “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” sadly but not bad for $2.

07/11/2026

A historic find at the Bainbridge Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale on July 11, 2026: An original pressing of the 4-disc Wizard of Oz 1938 cast album, complete with the original album book in surprisingly good condition. Julie Garland sang on this 78 rpm release, backed by the Victor Young Orchestra and the Decca Singers. This release is considered by historians the very first commercial cast album for a film musical.

07/06/2026

Ravi Shankar debuted as a solo artist at age 28 in 1948. Already a successful composer and music director for All India Radio before becoming known for his virtuosity as a classical sitar player, his mastery of the classical Indian style launched him to unlikely stardom in the West. A renaissance man in every way, Shankar played the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 (where he reportedly disapproved of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar burning) as well as Woodstock, won a Grammy with George Harrison for Album of the Year in 1973 and was nominated for an Oscar ten years later for his score of Gandhi. His four Grammy wins put him only in second place in the family, though. His daughter, Norah Jones, has 10. Learn more about the origins of musical artists who shaped the world at originsarchive.com

06/30/2026

French teenagers Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter's first band, Darlin', was panned in a British music review as playing "daft p***y thrash." This critique cheekily inspired the pair to name their new band Daft Punk. Mixing a blend of Chicago House with disco, funk, synth-pop and extensive vocal samples and donning robot helmets for their public performances, the group pioneered French House and literally changed the face of electronic music. Read more about how Daft Punk got their start at originsarchive.com

06/24/2026

Thought this group would be interested in the launch of the Origins of Modern Music Archive. We focus on rare debut releases of artists who changed music history. Our website is under heavy construction at originsarchive.com but the archive is moving quickly forward. Planning on a podcast and written bios for each of the Archive’s artists to share these artists’ stories with others. Here are the results of one of our favorite days at auction - four debut releases from artists at the genesis of country music: Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Eck Robertson and Fiddlin’ John Carson. Enjoy.

06/23/2026

British teenagers John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison played under numerous band names, including the Quarrymen, Johnny and the Moondogs, and the Silver Beetles before traveling to Germany (as the Beat Brothers) and cutting their first commercial record in Hamburg while backing up Tony Sheridan in 1961. After firing their less-talented drummer, Pete Best, and hiring Ringo Starr, the band finally settled on their iconic name, The Beatles - and recorded "Love Me Do" to launch their career as the most famous and popular band of all time. Read more about how the Beatles started their careers at originsarchive.com/artists/the-beatles

06/17/2026

Fiddlin’ John Carson, Eck Robertson, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rogers were the pioneers of recorded country music and every country record since then traces back to these early beginnings. Bluegrass, pop, gospel and rock also owe a debt to these musicians from Appalachia and the American South. Robertson and Carson vie for the title of first country record but Rogers was the first country star, livening up the Depression era with his signature “blue yodels.” Meanwhile, the Carter family, led by Maybelle Carter’s groundbreaking guitar play, became the first act to be inducted to the Country Hall of Fame.

06/05/2026

Chris Stapleton would have been considered one of America's greatest songwriters even if he had never started his own singing career, but after writing more than 170 songs for others, including a half-dozen No. 1 hits, Stapleton would enter the performing world with the SteelDrivers, earning three Grammy nominations, before launching a stratospheric solo career that has led to a dozen solo Grammy wins and the only RIAA-certified double diamond country record in history - "Tennessee Whiskey."Read more about Stapleton's start at originsarchive.com

05/31/2026

Pre-teen Stevie Wonder found his Detroit neighbor’s piano and taught himself how to play by ear, then went on to learn drums and harmonica before age ten. Within two years he cut his first record with Motown's Tamla imprint with the song "I Call It Pretty Music but Old People Call It the Blues." The musical prodigy grew into a wide-ranging icon selling more than 100 million records with his unique mixture of R&B, soul, jazz, funk and gospel sounds. Learn more about Stevie Wonder's start at originsarchive.com.

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New Orleans, LA

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+15044599945

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http://originsarchive.com/

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