[picture from 1999 Soul Train Awards]

After pop diva Whitney Houston canceled concerts on the East Coast this year, she told the Los Angeles Times, "The air quality is not good on the East Coast these days. I can't get enough air, and my bronchioles shut down."

Still, Houston's summer tour, her first in five years, continued. Apparently, however, the air on the West Coast ain't all that hot either.

Houston canceled her August 1 show at the Pavilion in Concord, California, just 15 minutes before she was set to take the stage. The show was to be the final stop in the North American tour.

Bronchioles or not, the singer inconvenienced quite a few Concordians, and they want her to fix it.

City officials have requested the profusely sweaty singer reimburse the city $100,000 for the inconvenience of her "illness," the amount spent preparing for the show. About 5,000 concertgoers were in their seats, with thousands more in the parking lot, when she backed out of the night's event.

"There were a lot of disappointed people there that night," says Concord Pavilion's marketing director, Brad Schulenberg. "Those were expensive tickets, and it was a highly anticipated show, so people were really excited."

Schulenberg says there have been discussions on rectifying the situation--be it cold, hard cash or a new concert--between Houston's agent and the city, but he doesn't think the city will be seeing this diva live anytime soon.

"There's been a lot of question as to whether a rescheduled date would be well-attended," he says. "She's canceled twice in the area before."

Houston's bum bronchioles forced her to cancel four scheduled stops on her North American circuit promoting her latest album, My Love Is Your Love. She is currently on tour in Europe.