▁live ▁performance ▁number , ▁" O l ' ▁Man ▁River ". ▁ ▁Franklin ▁was ▁usually ▁called ▁upon ▁to ▁deliver ▁ad - libs , ▁harm ony ▁vocals , ▁and , ▁during ▁the ▁psych ed el ic ▁soul ▁era , ▁notable ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁vers es . ▁His ▁line ▁from ▁The ▁T empt ations ' ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁# 3 ▁hit ▁" B all ▁of ▁Conf usion ▁( That ' s ▁What ▁the ▁World ▁Is ▁Today )", ▁" and ▁the ▁band ▁played ▁on ", ▁became ▁Franklin ' s ▁tra dem ark . ▁ ▁Health ▁problems ▁and ▁death ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Franklin ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁r he um ato id ▁ar th rit is , ▁the ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁comb ated ▁with ▁cort is one ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁continue ▁performing . ▁The ▁constant ▁use ▁of ▁cort is one ▁left ▁his ▁imm une ▁system ▁open ▁to ▁other ▁in fe ctions ▁and ▁health ▁problems ; ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁Franklin ▁developed ▁di ab etes ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁later ▁contract ed ▁ne c rot izing ▁fas ci itis . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁the ▁hand ▁and ▁leg ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁stop ▁a ▁man ▁from ▁ste aling ▁his ▁car ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁The ▁incident ▁prevent ed ▁Franklin ▁from ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁T empt ations ' ▁up coming ▁tour ▁of ▁Poland , ▁which ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁still ▁behind ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cur