Born March 23, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio, Guarnera started playing music at a very young age.
In November 1968 Buzz joined Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention playing the trumpet, also reuniting with his brother Bunk.
Buzz only appeared in two of the Mothers of Invention's albums, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh.
The brothers appeared on Tim Buckley's 1970 Starsailor and Domenic Troiano's 1972 self-titled debut album.
In 1980, Buzz reunited with some of the Mothers of Invention group members, with Bunk, Jimmy Carl Black, Jim Sherwood, and Don Preston.