Born as James "Buzz" Howard in Fairfax, Virginia, Fairchild moved to Los Angeles in 1986 to pursue a music career. Beside his appearances in the television series Still the Beaver (1986) and the thriller Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls (1989, with Marjean Holden), he can be seen in various television commercials, including Swatch and Budweiser. Today he is working as a guitarist and componist and is the guitarist for the rock band Lorenzo. He also appeared in the reality television show She House Cinema in 2005.