A series of 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinones has been prepared with the substituents H, CH3, n-C6H11, and CH2CH2NH2 at the ring N. The dipyridinone 1,6-bis(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinon-1-yl)hexane has also been synthesized. The products with H and CH3 substituents have been studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystals of 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyridinone are monoclinic, a = 6.8351(4), b = 10.2249(4), c = 8.6525(4) Å, β = 105.215(4)°, Z = 4, space group P21/n and those of 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-4-pyridinone are orthorhombic, a = 7.3036(4), b = 13.0490(6), c = 13.7681(7) Å, Z = 8, space group Pbca. Both structures were solved by direct methods and were refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to R = 0.037 and 0.044 for 914 and 857 reflections with I ≥ 3σ(I), respectively. Bond lengths and angles in the two compounds were normal. All the compounds have been studied by mass spectrometry, and by infrared and proton nmr spectroscopies. The importance of hydrogen bonding to both the solution and solid state properties of these compounds has been confirmed by these techniques.